《Existara: the RRD. Book two》


 Prologue

    We reach the gates of the Royal City. Nobody makes a sound. No cheers. No screams. No sighs of relief. Bit by bit, people are beginning to notice us, as we make our way to the Palace. No signs of being welcomed back. Only deafening silence and piercing stares follow us as we drag ourselves through the streets of Araneum. I don¡¯t even bother barking out orders. Laira does the job for me, as she guides the troops to the Army¡¯s Infirmary. I go straight to the throne room to see the King. I figured the word had already reached his Majesty, that his soldiers are back. Sure enough, the looks I get walking by the Royal-Robes is a dead-giveaway. It¡¯s either that or the stench coming off me. I¡¯m tired. Dirty. Most importantly I am pissed. Let¡¯s get this over with and fast. I enter the throne room. Tahon is already here. Alone. I make a quick bow and wait for him to make the first move.


    ¡°Well?¡± He asks.


    ¡°Well what?¡± I stare him down.


    ¡°Did you succeed? Is it over? Is the Rebirth over?¡±


    ¡°Did we succeed? Well;¡± I take my time for no other reason just to rattle him¡­ ¡°that depends on how you look at it. I do believe we succeed in bringing back most of the troops¡­¡± I see the glare he gives me. I pretend not to notice and continue. ¡°Is it over? Well yes, for now. Is the Rebirth over? Yes and no.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t toy with me, Crile! Did you eliminate the Castle of Despair for good or not?¡±


    ¡°No. We failed.¡± I give him my blunt stare¡­ The King doesn¡¯t seem pleased. I wait a few moments longer and ask.


    ¡°Would you like to hear the details of the battle, perhaps?¡± He waves me off. Bastard. Doesn¡¯t even give a damn, does he¡­


    ¡°Where¡¯s Skyrider?¡± He asks. Oh?


    ¡°Dead. Killed in action.¡± I watch his Majesty¡­ He murmurs something, but I don¡¯t bother tuning in on it¡­


    ¡°Will that be all?¡± I ask calmly.


    ¡°Yes, of course. Get some rest. We¡¯ll hold a welcoming ceremony in a few days.¡±


    ¡°Can we do it tomorrow instead?¡±


    ¡°Why the rush?¡± He finally graces me with a glance.


    ¡°Because I¡¯d very much would like to retire from my services as your aid, your Majesty.¡± I pause. The stare he¡¯s giving me makes me smile. Didn¡¯t see that one coming, did you?


    ¡°Why?¡± He manages to let out one word.


    ¡°One Rebirth is more than plenty for a person to experience in a lifetime. I dealt with two of them. I¡¯d rather not live long enough to go in a third time¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Of course. Then we shall hasten the ceremony. You can be excused afterwards.¡±


    ¡°You have my gratitude.¡± I bow. The King mumbles something again and waves me off. I leave and go straight back to the cabin. Axe barely holds out, but he manages to get me there and crashes in the stables. I go to the cellar. I see the block of ice in the middle of the dark and damp room¡­ I put my hand on it. A chill runs through me, from the tips of my fingers, up the arm, spreading across my entire body¡­ I watch the candle light cast dancing shadows on my Breeze, as she lays there¡­ Frozen¡­ I feel nothing. Only horror¡­ I¡¯m nothing, but an empty shell¡­ Don¡¯t do this me¡­ I press my forehead on the ice and close my eyes¡­ My body trembles from the cold¡­ I turn around and walk way. I get back up to the kitchen and look around. Nobody¡¯s home. I go straight for the bathroom and strip. I struggle to get the gear off. The sweat has the fabric glued to the skin¡­ I pour the freezing water over my ragged body¡­ I¡¯m too lazy to worry about getting the water hot¡­ I wash up quickly and slip into some light leather gear that we always have set up on the shelves: all range and size, specially left here lying around for emergencies. I go back to the kitchen and look around for something edible. I grab a piece of left-over steak and wolf it down in three bites. I wash it down with a jug of wine and go upstairs. I crash in Breeze¡¯s room and fall asleep.


    A knock on the door wakes me up. I can¡¯t see anything.


    ¡°Crile?¡± Laira¡¯s voice reaches me from the hall. I get up and open the door. It¡¯s too bright.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Nothing really, just wanted to make sure it was you here¡­¡±


    ¡°Everything ok?¡± I ask her. She¡¯s a mess too.


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    ¡°Yes. We had everyone admitted to the infirmary, just to be safe. The first half of the troops have already healed up nicely.¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear it.¡± My voice does not match my words¡­ I feel it¡­ Oh.


    ¡±Did you hear? We¡¯re having a welcoming ceremony held for us tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. I heard the talks. The others are informed of it as well.¡± She nods.


    ¡°Perfect. Saves us some trouble. Is there something else?¡± I ask the girl.


    ¡°You told the King Breeze was dead?¡± She carefully looks at me. I open the door wider.


    ¡°I thought you agreed to this?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s just¡­ It feels weird¡­ Having so many people talking about it¡­ Again¡­¡± Her eyes bounce around as she speaks.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of this either. But it¡¯s for the best. Get some rest. You¡¯re turning ugly.¡± I pat Laira on the head and smile. She gives me an exhausted smile back and walks away. I crash back in the bed and pass out.


    The next day Laira, Marcus and I take the dragons and go straight to the Palace. Percival, Jack, Rixa and Culebra meet us by the stables. Each of them wearing some fancy looking robes.


    ¡°Must we do this.¡± The hag hisses at me.


    ¡°The sooner the better.¡± I tell her. The Mancer clicks her tongue at me and we make our way to the throne room, where his Highness greets us in all of his glory¡­


    ¡°Ah! The mighty warriors are here! Perfect. The Public awaits.¡± He walks out on to the balcony, facing the main square of Araneum. We follow him out and line up. Percival, Jack, Rixa and Culebra on my right. Laira and Marcus on my left. The square is packed...


    ¡°My fellow citizens of the Royal City! It is my honor to be the one to announce to you that¡­¡± I zone out of the King¡¯s speech. I have no intention of listening to that farse¡­ It¡¯s enough of a humiliation already that we have to stand here in the stupid get-up. Hurry up.


    ¡°This feels wrong.¡± Percival whispers¡­


    ¡°Bear it. It will be over soon¡­¡± Laira answers.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± The Cleanser hesitates. ¡°Commander should be here with us¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s dead. Remember?¡± I bark out. The boy doesn¡¯t say anything back. I hear a giggle.


    ¡°You ok, runt?¡± Jack.


    ¡°I was just thinking what Tonso would say¡­¡± Percy answers.


    ¡°He¡¯d be annoyed, that¡¯s for sure.¡± Marcus seconds him.


    ¡°I can just hear the old man scowl about the fancy robes¡­¡± Rixa¡­


    ¡°Standing here like a bunch of idiots¡­¡± Jack pitches in too.


    ¡°He lived like a fool and died like one too¡­¡± Culebra.


    ¡°I liked him though.¡± Percival whispers again.


    ¡°So did I.¡± Laira agrees.


    ¡°He may have been a drunk, but he knew his stuff¡­¡± I hear my own voice¡­ ¡°He died protecting a friend. Tonso ended his life as any war hero should. We need to respect that¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that¡­¡± The doubt is evident in Laira¡¯s tone.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Marcus asks.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that Burla was our friend¡­¡±


    ¡°Because she got possessed?¡± Percival asks.


    ¡°Or because she hurt Skyrider?¡± Jack turns his head to Laira.


    ¡°Both.¡± She exhales.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I saw her as friend¡­ So did Tonso¡­ He wouldn¡¯t have jumped in to save her otherwise¡­¡± Percival lowers his voice at the end¡­


    ¡°Regardless of the circumstances of what happened. I think it¡¯s an insult to Tonso¡¯s memory, nonetheless, as Burla is the one who killed Breeze¡­ The same one that he died protecting¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡± Mancer speaks up. The King glances quickly over his shoulder at us and goes back to his rant. Culebra continues.


    ¡°The old fool did not just save a comrade. He even managed to earn the respect of his Shaman core. We need to acknowledge that. Let the fool rest in peace.¡±


    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see the day.¡± Rixa stares at the Mancer.


    ¡°Watch it.¡± The hag hisses.


    ¡°Now please! A round of applause for our Champions!¡± The King turns to us with his arms out. The crowd roars down below.


    ¡°Say what now?¡± Marcus asks.


    ¡°Assassin?¡± Jack stares at me. I sigh¡­


    ¡°Congratulations. From now on you¡¯ll be the Royal Hounds.¡±


    ¡°Shadowkill, I did not sign up for this!¡± The Mancer complains. I shrug my shoulders.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. I¡¯m retired. Take it up with his Majesty over there.¡±


    ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be that bad¡­ Maybe we¡¯ll even get a raise?¡± Rixa steps forward and waves to the crowd.


    ¡°Nonsense.¡± Culebra¡¯s upset. Not my problem.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Laira asks me.


    ¡°Smile and wave.¡± I tell her. ¡°Just smile and wave¡­¡±

 1. The Effort

    Percival doesn¡¯t say a word. I¡¯m getting anxious.


    ¡°Can you save her or not?!¡± I snap. ¡°It¡¯s been weeks now, Percival, I need answers!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± The boy raises his voice at me for the first time since we met him. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Laira steps in. ¡°Ok. Let¡¯s all calm down and think about this one more time.¡±


    ¡°All we have been doing is thinking!¡± I feel my blood boil.


    ¡°There has to be a way. We just haven¡¯t found it yet.¡± I¡¯m amazed at Laira¡¯s ability to stay calm. Although right now it¡¯s seriously pissing me off.


    ¡°Percival.¡± Laira speaks to the boy. ¡°You¡¯re bright beyond your age. I know you have thought of something.¡± The boy hesitates. I restrain myself from yelling.


    ¡°There might be an option.¡± Percival speaks shyly. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure¡­¡±


    ¡°One option right now is better than none.¡± Laira encourages the boy again.


    ¡°In that case.¡± The boy looks at me now. ¡°I need to poison her.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I glare at him.


    ¡°I can pinpoint the location of the poison in a person¡¯s body without needing a visual confirmation of it. ¡°


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you use Torch on her instead? That spell does not need a visual confirmation either. Right?¡± I ask.


    ¡°True. However. The wounds are too tiny. If I sear the healthy tissue, it will do more damage than good.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m confused here a little.¡± Laira says.


    ¡°A Temeros can manipulate poison at will. Liquid, solid or gas form. Well, not gas per se, it¡¯s more like a dust cloud. Anyway. If I can find the right kind of a combination between the healing herbs and the enchanted ones¡­ And inject it into Commander, I might be able to follow the poison along with the blood flow and, well, simply plug the wounds up.¡± Percival explains.


    ¡°But Breeze is frozen.¡± Laira has a point.


    ¡°Only her body. She has a pulse, remember?¡±


    ¡°Oh my! It completely slipped my mind.¡± Laira proclaims.


    ¡°I made sure that the Commander¡¯s heart was not affected by the freeze. The Casters did a wonderful job following my vague instructions. I have to admit, under the circumstances I was not sure if it would work, that¡¯s why I had my hand frozen along with her, but she has been stable ever since. Sure, the pulse is weak, but it¡¯s there. As long as the heart is working ¨C she can be saved.¡± Percival looks at me. He seemed to be confident a second ago, yet his eyes are grim.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I ask the boy. Percival averts his gaze.


    ¡°Speak.¡± I pressure him.


    ¡°Right now ¨C it¡¯s all a theory. Plus ¨C ¡°the healing poison¡± is the tricky part here really¡­¡±


    ¡°Then I suggest you get to work.¡±


    ¡°I have been. Ever since the Castle of Despair¡­ I am not able to¡­¡±


    ¡°Percival. As gifted as you are ¨C you are only one person. We have a theory now. This is as closets as we have been for weeks. We are one step closer. That¡¯s what matters now. We will figure out the rest too. Together.¡± Laira has a knack for kind words and encouragement. Sometimes she reminds me of Starlight¡­ Starlight.


    ¡°Does it have to be poison?¡± I ask.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Laira looks at me.


    ¡°Can we not use the blood itself to locate the wounds?¡± I look at Percival.


    ¡°I understand what you are trying to say. I have thought of that ¨C yes. However, that would mean having a Leto helping us, I don¡¯t think¡­¡±


    ¡°Starlight was a Water Healer ¨C whenever Breeze would be passed out, she would slowly force mana potions down her throat to speed up her recovery. There are potions that can help wounds heal too?¡± I stare at Laira.


    ¡°Well yes¡­¡± Laira thinks about it.


    ¡°I get the idea, however, Commander is frozen. Flesh wounds can¡¯t heal on their own like that. Not even internal ones¡­¡± Damn.


    ¡°What if we use Vines?¡± Laira asks Percival.


    ¡°Vines?¡± Percy¡¯s doing the calculations. ¡°If you can make them small enough...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you need to see where the Vines are going to be able to control them?¡± I ask Laira.


    ¡°Not to mention the wounds are microscopic.¡± The boy adds.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be going after the wounds. I¡¯ll cast a net over each of her organs to prevent the blood from spilling out¡­¡±


    ¡°That would take forever!¡± The Cleanser¡¯s mildly surprised.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Laira¡¯s expression seems more focused now. ¡°But it¡¯s an option. If we can¡¯t find another way ¨C that will have to be it.¡±


    Percival thinks about it. ¡°It will be like making her a new set of organs¡­ It¡¯s too much.¡±


    ¡°Only the outer shell. It should merge with the tissue and help the organs repair themselves. In time ¨C there won¡¯t even be a trace left¡­¡±


    ¡°It will take forever for you to do it, though.¡± Percival seems rather concerned.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Laira¡¯s determined.


    ¡°Then get some rest for now.¡± I stand up.


    ¡°Right. We¡¯ll get on it first thing tomorrow. I¡¯ll need your help, Percy.¡± She looks at the boy.


    ¡°Of course. Whatever I can.¡±


    ¡°Percival.¡± I come up to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for lashing out.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± He blushes. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I understand.¡± The kid nods.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I put my hand on his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re a good kid.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sir.¡±


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    ¡°We should all get some rest. It¡¯s getting late anyways.¡± Laira suggests.


    ¡°You two go on ahead. I¡¯ll be up in a sec.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Laira and Percival leave the cellar. I stay behind a bit longer.


    ¡°Once you¡¯re awake again ¨C I¡¯ll tie you up and pound you non-stop.¡± I look at my frozen Breeze. ¡°I¡¯m insane.¡± I laugh quietly. ¡°The world is not the same without you in it, Breeze¡­ I miss you.¡± I whisper and go upstairs. I hear voices coming from the living room. I get out there. Jack. Rixa and Culebra are sitting on the couches. A bunch of bags are tossed to the side, by the front door.


    ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± I ask.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stay at the Palace anymore.¡± The Ram¡¯s the first to answer me.


    ¡°How so?¡± I feel like mocking them a little.


    ¡°It¡¯s suffocating.¡± The Mancer stands up and tosses me a bag. ¡°At this point, this dump is a better option.¡±


    ¡°Why not leave then?¡± I ask again.


    ¡°Where else can I get this much gold doing nothing?¡± The old Primerian woman clangs a pouch of coins in her hand and walks upstairs.


    ¡°You too?¡± I look at the two warriors.


    ¡°Will that be a problem?¡± Rixa stands up.


    ¡°There¡¯s enough space here for everyone.¡± Laira stands up. ¡°Percival is welcome to stay as well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m better off at the Palace. But thank you for your offer.¡± The boy nods.


    ¡°By the way;¡± the CC asks picking up his bags; ¡°what¡¯s with the layout of the cabin?¡±


    ¡°What about it?¡± I ask glaring at him.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Marcus cuts in. ¡°He¡¯s never been here before.¡± I sigh.


    ¡°The canopy of the trees provides us with cover. When looking down from above ¨C you can¡¯t really tell there¡¯s a house here.¡± I explain. ¡°We chose the diamond shape like that on purpose. There¡¯s an underground water stream at the far end, where the stables are. The bathroom and the restroom are set up at that end for the same reason. Easy access to the water. The whole system is set up the same way it is back at the Marble Palace in Noxanda. There¡¯s no shower here, only a tub. You can use it as one, just don¡¯t splash around too much. Though it will be one freezing shower¡­¡± I give the quick breakdown on the facilities.


    ¡°Besides;¡± Laira takes over; ¡°since the roof is below the canopy. You can¡¯t really tell that there¡¯s less trees here at the front either. This way it¡¯s easier for the dragons to land and take off too.¡±


    ¡°Any other questions?¡± I look the War over. Rixa shakes his head.


    ¡°Well then?¡± The Ram stares at me. I toss him the Mancer¡¯s bag. He catches it.


    ¡°Do as you please.¡± I tell them and go upstairs¡­


    Laira spends the next couple of weeks practicing her Vines blindfolded. Usually, the Vine spell is adjusted by the visual of the situation. However ¨C there is no way of accessing the inside of Breeze¡¯s body without cutting her open and killing her. Laira¡¯s practicing diligently. On Rixa. The two healers were talking it over and decided that they need a live volunteer to be able to do this perfectly. Percival suggested using a rabbit or something, however, Rixa overheard Percy and Laira talking and immediately offered his assistance. I can¡¯t say I¡¯m not enjoying the idea of him becoming a victim of a freak accident¡­ But I know Laira would never let him die. Shame¡­ On the other hand ¨C if this can help save Breeze ¨C what do I care. As long as I can hold her in my arms again¡­


    ¡°So which organs are you reinforcing then, exactly?¡± Rixa asks.


    ¡°All of them.¡± Laira answers.


    ¡°We have no way of knowing which ones are damaged, so we must assume that it¡¯s all of them.¡± Percival elaborates. Rixa¡¯s dumbfounded. I smile.


    ¡°That will take you forever¡­¡± He finally manages to speak again.


    ¡°Yes, well, there is no other way.¡± Laira sounds a bit off today. ¡±That¡¯s where you come in. I¡¯ll only do a few major ones on you. One kidney, one lung, your stomach, liver and your heart. If anything goes wrong ¨C you¡¯ll let me know and we can fix you up immediately. I would prefer to practice maneuvering around the intestines more, those might be a bit tricky, however, I need to have a better grip on my overall casting before that happens. So, to start with, we¡¯ll pick the kind you have a pair of: kidneys and lungs.¡± Laira explains.


    ¡°Very well.¡± Rixa easily agrees. It¡¯s kind of out of character for him to not make a joke or some kind of a remark here.


    ¡°Consider yourself to be a rough draft. Organ size does vary between males and females, I have been practicing to replicated the shape and the size, however, I can¡¯t know if what I am doing is not hurtful to the patient. Therefore¡­¡± Rixa cuts her off.


    ¡°Evergreen. I¡¯m not backing down on this. You can¡¯t scare me. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Laira inhales. ¡°Alright then.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry it¡¯s taking me so long.¡± I look up. Laira stands next to me.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I thought it would be easier¡­ I thought I could do it¡­¡± Laira¡¯s shaking.


    ¡°No.¡± I get off the swing and hug her. ¡°You¡¯re doing great. Don¡¯t do this to yourself. If anyone can bring her back it¡¯s you two. Ok?¡± I look at her. ¡°I have complete faith in you.¡±


    Laira doesn¡¯t even say anything. She covers her face and weeps. I hold her. That¡¯s all I can do.


    ¡°Mind if I cut in?¡± Marcus approaches us.


    ¡°Not at all.¡± I step away from the girl. ¡°She¡¯s all yours.¡±


    He nods, taking the girl into his embrace. I go for a walk to keep myself busy¡­


    A knock on the door wakes me up. Must¡¯ve dozed off. Laira¡¯s out in the hall.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready.¡± Is all she says. We walk downstairs. Percy, Marcus and Rixa are here.


    ¡°Percival.¡± As soon as I say his name, the boy jumps up.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Break it down for me.¡±


    ¡°Commander has a pulse, however, it¡¯s too weak. We need to de-freeze her in a few spots here and there and make incisions in her body, providing miss Laira with access to Commander¡¯s internal organs. We¡¯ll do this one organ a day. With a few days rest in between. For miss Laira¡¯s sake. I¡¯ll be monitoring Commander¡¯s pulse as miss Laira casts Vines. If all goes well ¨C which all of us hope for ¨C we should be done in a few months. Here¡¯s the risky part ¨C we won¡¯t know how well the spell worked till Commander wakes up after we de-freeze her completely. That could take a while¡­¡± The boy explains.


    I wrap my brain around that. ¡°Alright. So where do we start?¡±


    ¡°Her liver. I¡¯ll leave the heart for last.¡± Laira steps closer to Breeze.


    ¡°I have some acid here that will dissolve the ice.¡± Percival shows me the flask.


    ¡°Won¡¯t it damage her?¡±


    ¡°You make it sound like she¡¯s an object.¡± Rixa gives me the look.


    ¡°Don¡¯t start now.¡± Marcus steps in.


    ¡°Yeah yeah.¡± Rixa mumbles.


    ¡°It won¡¯t.¡± Percy answers me.


    ¡°Ok. Go ahead.¡± That¡¯s all anyone says. Percival carefully makes an incision in Breeze¡¯s side and sticks a pair of metal pliers in, to keep the wound slightly open, making it easier for Laira to gain access. Hours go by. Nobody says a word. Marcus is right beside Laira ¨C feeding her mana potions. With Percival monitoring the weak pulse that Breeze¡¯s heart manages to pump ¨C me and Rixa are the only two that have no reason to be here. Not a medical or helpful reason anyway. Our Basement Four spends days cooped up in that chilly cellar. On the days when Laira¡¯s resting we train. I usually pair up with Marcus while Jack keeps Rixa busy.


    ¡°How¡¯s the hand working out?¡± I ask Jack.


    ¡°It took some getting used to, but it¡¯s better than nothing.¡±


    ¡°I know this won¡¯t mean much to you, but I¡¯m sorry it turned out like this.¡± I lower my gaze.


    ¡°I could have lost my life. Instead ¨C I only lost a hand. I¡¯m not sorry I was among the few of the lucky ones who lived to see another day.¡± Jack stares at his wooden hand, then at me. ¡°It reminds me of how fragile life is.¡± To hear a Ram use the word fragile is kind of hilarious in a way. I smile. Jack doesn¡¯t seem like the sensitive type. But he has a point. I don¡¯t say anything else¡­


    Six months later.


    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Laira says quietly. The strain reflects in her voice.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I ask her.


    She nods.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Percival takes a few more flasks.


    ¡°My turn.¡± He starts at Breeze¡¯s feet. The ice evaporates slowly, exposing Breeze¡¯s body bit by bit.


    ¡°Put these under her.¡± Laira points to some towels. ¡°To soak up¡­¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± I stand up and get the towels. Marcus and Rixa help. They pick Breeze up slightly and I put the fabric under her to soak up any excess water.


    ¡°Now what?¡± I ask Percival.


    ¡°Now ¨C we wait.¡±

 2. The Puzzle

    I sit by Breeze¡¯s side for weeks. She¡¯s breathing. Her heart¡¯s beating. Her body¡¯s warm. Yet she doesn¡¯t wake up¡­


    ¡°Her brain needs time to get back to the usual working capacity.¡± Percival explained it to me once. Even if it all makes sense in my head ¨C I want her to wake up already. I want her to open her eyes and look at me. Most of all, I want to hear her say¡­


    ¡°Crile¡­¡± Huh? A feint whisper reaches me. I look up. Breeze is looking at me.


    ¡°Breeze!¡± I jump up so fast the damn chair falls over with a thud. I stumble to my knees next to her.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I ask her in a whisper.


    ¡°Weak.¡± She looks at me. I smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy to fix.¡± I place my hand on her forehead. ¡°No fever. Good.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Breeze manages to utter a word at a time.


    ¡°How are the others?¡± I ask again. She nods ever so slightly.


    ¡°They are alright. We¡¯re at the cabin. Would you like some water?¡± I ask, she nods. I get her the glass. She looks at it confused.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What is this thing? Percival called it a straw. Said this way you won¡¯t cough when sipping the water.¡± I turn her head gently on its side and put the tip of the tiny, metal tube between her lips.


    ¡°Slowly. A sip at a time.¡± I watch her take a few sips and put the glass away.


    ¡°How?¡± Breeze whispers again.


    ¡°How long were you out?¡± I ask her. She nods.


    ¡°Six months.¡± I tell her. Her eyes widen.


    ¡°No¡­¡± She lets out a breath. This time I nod.


    ¡°Sorry it took us so long to bring you back¡­¡± I smile at her. She reaches for me. I take her hand with both of mine and kiss it gently.


    ¡°Crile¡­¡± Her voice is barely a whisper.


    ¡°I love you, Breeze.¡± I kiss it again. ¡°Don¡¯t do this to me again.¡± I keep kissing her hand. ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Breeze gives me a weak smile.


    ¡°Percival said you can only have liquids for now. More water?¡±


    ¡°Please¡­¡± She says. I hold the glass for her again as she takes a few sips at a time in turns. After a few moments her sips get bigger. I pull the glass away from her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush.¡± I tell her, putting the glass down again and see Breeze reaching for me.


    ¡°Try not to move so much, you need to rest and get your strength back, it might be a while, but¡­¡± I see her shake her head lightly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to rest¡­¡± Her voice sounding a bit better; ¡°I don¡¯t want to sleep anymore¡­¡± I crouch down to her; ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t wake up¡­¡±


    ¡°Well finally we can agree on something again¡­¡± I tell her quietly, stroking her hair. I feel her grip my shirt.


    ¡°Right then, one moment.¡± I step to the side and take a few extra pillows and slide them under her, propping Breeze up just a little.


    ¡°Comfy?¡± I ask her, picking up the chair and sitting down.


    ¡°Mhm¡­¡± She murmurs looking around. ¡°Where am I?¡±


    ¡°We have you set up in the cellar to keep the ice from melting. A mage from the Army would come around every so often to make sure all was ok. I wanted to move you upstairs, as soon as we got you fixed up, but Percival didn¡¯t want to put a lot of strain on your body, so we¡¯ve been keeping you down here. Laira made sure to install an ¡°air pipe¡±, as she called it, to make sure you get fresh air from the outside. Zaltem and Aodynna helped.¡± I explain.


    ¡°I cause nothing, but trouble¡­¡± She says and sips the water again. ¡°This straw thing is quite useful.¡±


    ¡°Leave it up to the kid to come up with something like that¡­¡± I try to chuckle¡­


    ¡°Tell me what happened after¡­¡±


    ¡°After we froze you?¡±


    She nods. I inhale. ¡°Well, we managed to escape with few casualties¡­ All thanks to Emerald¡­¡± I wait, watching Breeze. Don¡¯t want her going into another shock¡­ She doesn¡¯t say or do anything. I continue.


    ¡°Percival and some others took the dragons and the more heavily wounded troops, and went back ahead of us. Laira stayed behind with me. It took us about three weeks to return to the city. I went to report to the king. He really didn¡¯t care about anything much besides that we failed¡­¡± I look her over again. She hands me the empty glass. I take it, fill it up and give it back to her. She sips the water quietly. I carry on, keeping my voice low.


    ¡°I told the king you died.¡±


    She nods. ¡°Good. That¡¯s how it should be¡­ What else?¡±


    ¡°Vestigo took Hisana and bolted. I didn¡¯t stop him. Apparently, the girl kept the place clean while we were away. She even made sure to leave a list of things she used and ate¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh? What a well-behaved child¡­¡± Breeze smiles.


    ¡°Right, so, besides that, everyone else got named Champions of the Concord, that was one heck of an inflated display of¡­.¡±


    ¡°Tahon¡¯s ego?¡± She asks giggling. I laugh under my breath too.


    ¡°One way to put it¡­¡± I look her over again. Not sure if it¡¯s the dim lighting in here or what, but Breeze looks ghostly pale¡­ Even for a Noxian¡­


    ¡°I can only image what that must have felt like¡­ Standing there in an overly flashy, fancy royal get up¡­¡±


    ¡°Pain is the word you¡¯re looking for¡­¡± I tell her. She smiles.


    ¡°Anyways, the whole Ceremony was mostly because this time the casualties were the lowest ever recorded and Tahon used it to boost the morale ¨C or so he claims ¨C saying this is more than enough to let the public know that the Rebirth is not impossible to beat¡­¡± It feels weird calling the king by his name¡­


    ¡°Oh, and on top of receiving our Champion tittle, the others also got roped into working at the palace ¨C as instructors or advisors, or even both. Like Percival, Marcus and Laira.¡±


    ¡°No way, even Culebra?¡± Breeze looks at me briefly.


    ¡°I imagine the gold has something to do with that¡­¡± We laugh quietly¡­ ¡°I retired.¡± She looks at me surprised. ¡°Took some effort, but they let me go. I used the Rebirth as my main excuse, saying that I¡¯d be pushing my luck if I go in for the third time¡­¡±


    ¡°Nice one¡­¡± Breeze whispers.


    ¡°Yeah well, here¡¯s the best part ¨C the rest of them are staying here, at the cabin with us¡­¡±


    She laughs a bit louder that time. ¡°It¡¯s tough being popular, huh?¡±


    I smile. ¡°Suffocating ¨C was the word Culebra used¡­¡± She giggles again.


    ¡°I can see that happening¡­¡± She whispers. ¡°What did they do to me?¡±


    ¡°You mean how did they bring you back?¡± I see her nod. ¡°Well, teamwork. Laira, Percival and Rixa.¡±


    ¡°Rixa?¡± She glances at me completely lost.


    ¡°Yes, Laira needed a test subject, the Warrior bravely volunteered.¡± The confusion isn¡¯t letting up on Breeze¡¯s face. ¡°Right, well, we weren¡¯t sure what exactly was done to you, so, the guys decided to operate on the assumption that all of your internal organs were pierced by thousand air needles, just as Burla said, causing you to bleed internally¡­ Laira came up with the idea to conjure an outer shell for each organ, out of vines, hoping that would stop the bleeding, letting us melt the ice¡­ Later on, we simply had to force healing potions into you, to make sure the organs repair themselves¡­ It was a gamble and we took it¡­¡±


    ¡°She must¡¯ve practiced that for weeks before she could maneuver vines without a visual¡­¡±


    ¡°Hence ¨C Rixa¡­¡± I tell her looking down at my feet¡­


    ¡°Did you thank the man?¡± She asks me and I feel her looking at me¡­ I shake my head.


    ¡°Figured I¡¯d let you do it¡­¡± I gaze at her. ¡°Hi.¡± I wink at her smiling like an idiot¡­ She giggles.


    ¡°Hi.¡± Breeze answers. Her expression changes.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°People.¡± Her gaze is looking up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t hear anything and you haven¡¯t even shifted.¡± I try to listen. Nothing.


    ¡°I feel it¡­¡± She takes the blanket off of her and tries to get down the table. I get up and help her.


    ¡°Easy now.¡± I hold her steady letting her sit on the edge for a bit.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can walk¡­¡± Breeze whispers looking down at her tangling feet.


    ¡°Right, come here.¡± I pick her up and carry her up the stairs into the kitchen.


    ¡°Wait.¡± She whispers and I put her down to her feet. Voices are coming from the living room. We listen.


    ¡°Why do you think that the curse has a power source? Can¡¯t it be some sort of a thing? Something that is not alive?¡± Marcus. Breeze moves slowly through the kitchen, with me supporting her.


    ¡°Because it keeps changing¡­¡± Percival.


    ¡°Like it¡¯s alive¡­ Or part of it?...¡± Laira. Breeze is only able to drag her feet as we make our way to the living room.


    ¡°Can you prove any of this?¡± That¡¯s definitely Culebra. We¡¯re almost at the door.


    ¡°I would need to do more research¡­¡± Percival again.


    ¡°Well then, it¡¯s a good thing we have another fifty years to figure this out¡­¡± Breeze makes herself known, as she leans in the doorway with me helping her stand upright. Percival is the first one to look at us. His face goes blank. Jack turns around next and stares at us.


    ¡°Breeze!¡± Laira¡¯s the first one to react. She comes over and crashes to her knees, next to slouching Breeze, checking her pulse and temperature.


    ¡°Ever the dramatic entrance?¡± Marcus says jokingly.


    ¡°So, the dead one lives again.¡± Jack announces. Rixa continues to sit on the stairs with his jaw on the floor.


    ¡°You never die, do you?¡± Culebra takes a jab at Breeze.


    ¡°Disappointed?¡± Breeze glances at the Mancer as Laira and I sit her down gently on the couch next to Percival. Laira takes her place next to Breeze, leaving me standing behind the couch with only my hand on Breeze¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Somewhat.¡± The Mancer is clearly displeased with something.


    ¡°Oh, our little dual? Would you like to do it now?¡± Breeze gets up and her body shakes as she tries to straighten herself out. I easily sit her back down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t insult me. What pleasure would my victory bring me crushing a weakling?¡±


    Breeze chuckles nervously. ¡°Very well, it shall be postponed until further notice.¡± She smiles at the woman.


    ¡°So then, mind clueing us in?¡± Breeze looks at the Cleanser. He finally snaps out of it. Jumps of the couch and bows, yelling.


    ¡°So good to see you awake, Commander!¡±


    ¡°Easy kid, it¡¯s too early.¡± I tell the boy.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have worried you¡­¡± Breeze keeps her eyes on the boy. He stands there, trying his best to hold back the tears¡­ Laira on the other hand isn''t concerned about it and weeps quietly holding her sister¡¯s hand. Percival remains standing, giving me the opportunity to sit down next to my woman.


    ¡°Wow.¡± Rixa finally regains his speech.


    ¡°Rixa, I¡¯d like to thank you for being a huge part of my healing.¡± Breeze speaks to the fighter. I can tell it¡¯s hard for her. Her breathing is uneven¡­ She tries to keep it steady, but once in a few breaths she inhales deeply through the mouth, with her lips slightly parted.


    ¡°My pleasure, Commander.¡± The Warrior nods.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be resting?¡± Percival suggests carefully.


    ¡°I have been resting, how long now?¡± Breeze asks the boy, with the hint clearly there.


    ¡°Like six months.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Jack.¡± Breeze answers the Ram, with her gaze locked on the Cleanser.


    ¡°The last thing I want to be right now is asleep¡­¡± She says quietly.


    ¡°Great! Since everyone is up now anyways, how about I make us all some breakfast?¡± Laira suddenly perks herself up and disappears into the kitchen.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help.¡± Marcus follows her.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Only fluids for Commander!¡± Percy runs off too.


    ¡°Now then,¡± Breeze looks the rest three over; ¡°what did he mean by the Castle being alive?¡±


    ¡°You need to ask the boy. I¡¯m not following any of this¡­¡± Rixa shakes his head. I grin. You don¡¯t say¡­


    ¡°It seems the kid has been doing some research on this thing and he has a theory, apparently he decided that the Castle has a power source.¡± Jack explains.


    ¡°A power source?¡± I ask.


    ¡°The Cleanser says the Castle has to have a source of mana because the Rebirth keeps repeating itself and the inside of the Castle keeps changing.¡± Culebra adds sitting down on the couch across the table from us.


    ¡°You really need the kid to explain it.¡± The Ram agrees with Rixa¡¯s earlier statement.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Breeze thinks about something. ¡°And that hand?¡±


    ¡°This?¡± Jack extends his left arm. ¡°A souvenir.¡±


    ¡°Was it Laira¡¯s idea?¡± Breeze asks the Warrior again.


    ¡°Sure was.¡± Jack keeps his answers nice and short. ¡°Needed a bit of time getting used to it¡­¡±


    ¡°But?¡± Breeze is quick to catch on.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit weak. I can''t use it with my full strength. I already had the Druid fix it up for me a few times. Other than that - it works fine.¡±


    ¡°Why use it then?¡± Breeze hammers in another question for the Ram.


    ¡°Because the stub is even worse.¡± I don¡¯t think I ever saw Jack speak so much before. Breeze giggles.


    ¡°Maybe in time we can get you something better¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh! I have an idea, I¡¯m not sure if it would work though and it¡¯s a bit of a complicated matter, I haven¡¯t been able to run any tests yet, unfortunately¡­ So, for the time being, try to bear it.¡± Laira sets a few plates with sandwiches on the table. Jack nods. Marcus comes in with a tray of cups and sets it down too. Percival¡¯s the last to emerge, carrying Breeze¡¯s breakfast. Rixa comes back from the kitchen, carrying a chair. Percival sits next to us, as Laira and Marcus take their places next to Culebra on the couch, with Rixa on the kitchen chair, next to Jack.


    ¡°Help yourselves!¡± Laira tells us and we dig in.


    ¡°Hope it doesn¡¯t taste too bad¡­¡± The boy observes Breeze as she drinks her breakfast carefully.


    ¡°Is this broth?¡± I ask the boy taking a quick glance into the mug.


    ¡°Yes, with a few pieces of mashed vegetables. The consistency is thin enough to drink it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s bland¡­¡± Breeze whispers, sipping her soup.


    ¡°My apologies, Commander, you can¡¯t have any strong flavors till we know everything is ok¡­¡± The boy explains and quickly puts down his sandwich.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, you look terrible, go ahead.¡± Breeze nods to the food.


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± The boy whispers.


    ¡°I feel like a baby¡­¡± I hear a voice echo. I see Breeze struggling with her soup.


    ¡°Good, then you won¡¯t fight it when I¡¯ll be tucking you into bed later.¡± I watch her give me a quick stare, I smile playfully. We eat quietly like that for a bit longer. Laira makes a few more trips to the kitchen to bring out some more sandwiches and other snacks. I watch Breeze valiantly fighting the urge to stuff her face. Percival comes back with a bowl of another mish-mashed food for Breeze.


    ¡°What is it this time?¡± I ask the boy.


    ¡°A few mashed pears with a bit of honey and some mana tea¡­ I¡¯ll be sure to think of more later.¡±


    ¡°Tasty¡­¡± Breeze tries her meds.


    ¡°Is it ok for her to have sweet things?¡± I try a bit myself.


    ¡°Honey is good for her, it has healing properties, plus, the mana tea is slightly bitter, so it helps with the taste. But only small amounts!¡± Percy explains it.


    ¡°Thank you, Percival.¡± I nod to the boy.


    ¡°Now then, mind explaining your theory again for us?¡± Breeze asks the Cleanser.


    ¡°What? Now?¡± He studders.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you barge in here exactly for that?¡± Rixa glares at the kid.


    ¡°I can leave.¡± The boy stands up and Jack pulls him back down by the corner of the robe.


    ¡°I think we can manage brainstorming, now that everyone¡¯s had something to eat¡­¡± Marcus says, casually taking a gulp from his drink.


    ¡°Ok, well, where do I start then?¡± The Cleanser sits back down.


    ¡°Try at the beginning.¡± Laira suggests.


    ¡°Right. The battle. During the battle I discovered that I am able to control the ooze, that came out the undead corpses, but only while casting.¡± Percy sounds calmer now.


    ¡°Yes, I remember you showing me something¡­¡± Breeze agrees, holding the empty bowl. I take it from her and put it down next to the other plates.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that how all of the magic works?¡± Rixa asks.


    ¡°No. Because once I manipulate the poison to change its shape form, say, liquid to solid ¨C it retains that shape after the spell is finished, because I have manipulated it into it. The action has finished, so, there is no more need for the spell to be continued. But with this poison ¨C the manipulation only lasts while casting. Think of it in terms of sir Marcus¡¯s Reflector ability.¡±


    ¡°Meaning what?¡± Jack leans back in his chair.


    ¡°Sir Marcus is able to control any Force of Choice, but only if someone else is casting the spell. He is not able to cast any spells by himself¡­.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­actually¡­¡± Marcus cuts in. ¡°I can cast some spells, but they are quite weak and don¡¯t last any longer than seven second¡¯s or so¡­¡± I see Breeze lean forward.


    ¡°How?¡± She stares at the Mage.


    ¡°I train hard¡­¡± Marcus averts his eyes.


    ¡°Impressive¡­¡± Percival stares at the kid too. ¡°I may have picked the wrong example here then, my apologies¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it ¨C you didn¡¯t know¡­¡± Marcus shrugs his shoulders. ¡°But I think I get what you mean ¨C that the manipulation only lasts while casting. So, in a way it is similar to what I do.¡±


    ¡°Yes, exactly.¡± The Cleanser nods.


    ¡°Oh then, my Vines, would have been a better example.¡± Laira picks up her glass.


    ¡°No, his Reflection works better, as an example, since technically Vines don¡¯t retract or wilt, if they bind with a living host.¡± Breeze explains.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Laira agrees.


    ¡°Moving on.¡± Culebra hisses.


    ¡°Right, so, I have been only experimenting with the sample I brought back, fairly recently, as the Commander was our top priority. So, for now I found only this: no known antidote works, no new combinations work either, every attempt to break its components down fails¡­¡± The boy falls silent.


    ¡°Oh! And here¡¯s another thing ¨C it needs a living host to have an effect! It completely slipped my mind¡­¡± The kid exclaims.


    ¡°And the significance of that is¡­?¡± The Ram gives Percival an unimpressed look.


    ¡°Poison can be used on a living creature or an item, till it gets in contact with a living being. True Poison does not lose its potency no matter the conditions it is exposed to, because the only way it can be healed is with an antidote, specifically designed for that poison. Like sir Crile¡¯s daggers ¨C they are coated in poison, but unlike say acid that can burn through almost anything: living or not, the poison does not harm him, or anyone else. Well, not till the poison on the blade is exposed to a living creature. Same reason why poison doesn¡¯t work on undeads¡¯, but acid does.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I always wondered how that works, how is it that the acid does not eat through the bottle?¡± The CC warrior sways in his chair, on its back legs, staring at the ceiling.


    ¡°The bottles for acid are enforced with enchantments, designed just for that.¡± Culebra answers.


    ¡°Basic Magic there.¡± The Ram answers, looking to the Warr. ¡°Quit messing around.¡± Jack grabs Rixa by the leg and pulls on it, making the chair crash back into its proper position.


    ¡°Percival, you were saying.¡± Laira tries to get us back on track.


    ¡°Right, so this poison only works on a living creature. It kinda resembles a disease in that way.¡± Percy¡¯s quick to answer.


    ¡°How so?¡± Marcus backs up the focus of the topic. I keep close watch on Breeze. Her breathing seems to be getting better¡­


    ¡°A disease is only dangerous while the host of it is alive. Once the person, or creature dies, the disease dies too, because it does not have the necessary life force to sustain itself. Diseases are parasitic in nature, that¡¯s why only living organisms have them: people, animals, plants¡­¡± Laira explains.


    ¡°So then, how exactly is the ooze poison, again?¡± Rixa mocks the Cleanser.


    ¡°Because he can control it. So, some part of that ooze is poison.¡± I finally join the discussion.


    ¡°Correct.¡± Percy nods.


    ¡°You said something about a curse and a mana source?¡± Breeze asks sipping her mana tea.


    ¡°Yes. I realized I hit a wall with the poison and so I started thinking about what else we know about the Castle. One thing was that it is an event that repeats itself. While focusing on that I realized that it has to have a source of mana, that was the only way it made sense how it could renew itself every fifty years. Because besides nature itself ¨C mana is the only other thing that has the ability to restore itself.¡± The boy clarifies his theory.


    ¡°Right, I can see how that would make sense.¡± Breeze has a very serious expression on her.


    ¡°Oh, you do? What a relief!¡± The boy exclaims.


    ¡°What about the Castle being alive?¡± Jack asks. Good point, I forgot about that.


    ¡°That¡¯s because the Castle is different every Rebirth. I only managed to look through some of the records so far, but none seem to have any similarities except that it becomes active right round the time as the sun is setting¡­¡±


    ¡°Right, when we were in that Black Chamber, it did not do anything for a long while, unlike the Mirror Room.¡± Marcus agrees.


    ¡°Yes, it is possible that once a chamber or a spell is activated, then it stays that way ¨C regardless of the time of day. It¡¯s a theory, but we might have been erasing our copies that time all through the night, till morning, or longer¡­¡± Percival keeps on adding to the theory.


    ¡°So then why did the door close when we entered the Black Chamber?¡± The Ram makes another point.


    ¡°It might have been because the door belonged to the Mirror Room, and since that spell had been already set in place ¨C it did not stop till all of us had left the room, I think?¡± Laira tries to make sense of it.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I also believe the Castle is cursed. See, once certain conditions are met, it acts up.¡± The Cleanser adds.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that a curse also needs an item to cling to?¡± Marcus pitches in.


    ¡°It could be the location of the Castle? The area itself that the curse is attached to¡­¡± Percy mumbles the last few words.


    ¡°Ok, that would explain it. But what exactly has you thinking that the Castle can be alive? Wouldn¡¯t that mean that someone is behind all of this?¡± Marcus is right on point. ¡°I can¡¯t see how the Castle itself can possibly be alive¡­¡±


    ¡°Because, Commander was possessed during the last Rebirth.¡± Percival doesn¡¯t raise his head. Laira holds her breath. I clamp my fingers tighter on Breeze¡¯s hand. The boy continues, choosing his words very carefully.


    ¡°I think, that the Castle has to have a magic power source, a collection of mana, somewhere inside of it, because possessions like that can only happen through magic¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you only been approaching your samples as poison?¡± Breeze asks Percival, completely unfazed.


    ¡°Yes, why?¡± The kid finally looks at her a bit confused.


    ¡°Have you tried cleansing it like a curse?¡± She asks again.


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°What about treating it as a disease?¡± Breeze questions the Cleanser.


    ¡°I¡¯m an idiot¡­¡± He shuts his eyes.


    ¡°No. You just needed a different angle. You worked on it as poison because that is what you are best at.¡± She smiles at the boy.


    ¡°Wait, so what, the ooze is a mix of poison and disease?¡± Rixa speaks up after a long while.


    ¡°And a curse. Apparently.¡± Marcus adds.


    ¡°So then by that logic, all three are key players: the disease kills, the curse revives and the poison? Wait, what¡¯s the poison then for?¡± Rixa stares at Perival again.


    ¡°The poison is used as a mind controlling substance ¨C in other words ¨C it¡¯s what makes the corpses move¡­¡± The boy explains¡­


    ¡°So then, someone has to be controlling the dead bodies ¨C is that what you are saying?¡± Jack leans forward in his chair, supporting his elbows on his knees and resting his chin on the laced fingers. Topping it all off with a piercing glare¡­


    ¡°Not necessarily someone¡­ Rather something¡­¡± The boy hesitates.


    ¡°What else could that possible be, young one?¡± Culebra speaks carefully¡­ I have a nagging feeling at the bottom of my stomach¡­ Breeze remains unreadable¡­


    ¡°I believe that is where the power source comes in¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh GREAT! So, the Castle IS ALIVE!¡± Rixa jumps off his chair.


    ¡°It¡¯s more like the mana is alive, that is what controls the Castle and everything else¡­¡± Percival is doing his best not to break under the pressure.


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference!¡± The CC implodes.


    ¡°Calm yourself.¡± Culebra stabs the hysterical warrior with her eyes.


    ¡°The Castle has been around for centuries, even before the 200 hundred Years of Darkness, because we know that it was the Rebirth that caused the destruction of the continent in the first place. Now imagine how many people have already fallen victim to it? Imagine how much mana and magic that pile of dirt is soaked with? It¡¯s saturated with it so much so, that it is able to conjure a hill, resembling a castle, inside and outside, with different settings inside of itself each time, all the while harboring various creatures between its walls! No person is capable of that kind of power¡­ Only magic itself¡­ That¡¯s why I believe that when the Castle was not engaged in battle that one time and spread across Existara ¨C it was because the curse needs the magic power to sustain itself ¨C only because of the nature of the curse, whatever the condition for it may be that makes it repeat itself by manifesting into a castle ¨C it exhausts that much power. Meaning, it went looking for a way to replenish it¡­ Perhaps that¡¯s why it took for the Rebirth almost two centuries to weaken, no, rather, retract itself back to the point of origin¡­ I think the Rebirth and the Castle of Despair is a collection of magic power. Once it reaches its capacity ¨C it implodes by manifesting in the form of a castle. We have been steadily supplying it with magic power every time we charge it and people die. I believe, from what I have read so far, that once it obtains enough magic power it crumbles away, because that too has been one other feature that remains the same each time. It probably goes into some sort of a hibernation mode, allowing itself to soak up the magic gained, in preparation for the next Rebirth¡­¡± Percival finishes his speech with a grim look on his face¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re scaring me, little man¡­¡± Rixa mumbles quietly¡­


    ¡°How do we fight magic itself?¡± Jack asks a brilliant question¡­


    ¡°What if we break it down into parts and deal with it, one phase at a time? Cleanse the curse, cure the disease and¡­¡±


    ¡°And counteract the poison¡­¡± Percival catches on, cutting Laira off.


    ¡°Say, for the moment, there is some sort of a power source for the Castle. If we act based on that idea, can we assume that by getting to the core and cleansing it, in other words, getting rid of the curse ¨C would put an end to the Rebirth altogether?¡± Breeze stares into her empty cup as she voices the main question, that nobody has been able to answer for centuries¡­ The silence is deafening.


    ¡°IF we can get directly to the core of that power, or at least as close as possible ¨C then yes. There is a possibility that it might stop it¡­¡± Percival is doubting the possibility strongly, it¡¯s evident in his weak whisper¡­ ¡°Provided there would be enough casters¡¯. Yes. We could cleanse the impurity.¡± The Cleanser looks us over, in hopes someone will back him up¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask again ¨C can you prove any of this?¡± And Culebra sticks it to the boy with the killer question¡­ I was afraid of this¡­


    ¡°Research. We need to dig up everything we can about the Castle of Despair. We need to study every record we can get our hands on. Try and find a connection. If we can get to the bottom of its origin maybe we can eradicate it completely. We need to find a pattern ¨C if we can find evidence to support the idea of the three components being the focus of the Rebirth then we will know how to fight it¡­¡± Percival begins doing the calculations in his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a lot of work¡­¡± Jack is not wrong.


    ¡°We do have another 50 years to figure this out.¡± I speak up.


    ¡°Not all of us.¡± Culebra has a point. I see the horror in Laira¡¯s eyes, as she tightens her grip on Marcus¡¯s hand¡­


    ¡°Sadly, yes¡­¡± Breeze looks grim as well. ¡°However. We can do whatever it takes to make sure that what we found out here today is used to stop the destruction of our world tomorrow. For all those who fought before us. We owe it to them to see this through. Any volunteers?¡± Breeze scans the room over.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The Mage is the first to stand up.


    ¡°Marcus.¡± Laira stands next to him.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Percival agrees.


    ¡°Do you even need to ask?¡± Rixa follows.


    ¡°No.¡± Jack stands up. ¡°I saw enough. I choose life this time.¡±


    ¡°Very well. I respect your decision.¡± Breeze gets off the couch, with me supporting her. ¡°It has been an honor to fight alongside you.¡± Breeze bows her head. So does Jack.


    ¡°For me as well. I do wish you the best of luck.¡± He bows for the rest of us and goes upstairs.


    Culebra¡¯s next to take a stand. ¡°I fought my war already. One was more than plenty.¡±


    Breeze bows her head again. ¡°It has been an honor to fight alongside you.¡±


    ¡°Tsk.¡± Is all the Mancer says and leaves the room, same as the Ram. ¡°I will continue to stay here, Druid.¡± Culebra¡¯s voice reaches us from the stair case. Breeze smiles. Laira answers the Mancer instead.


    ¡°Take your time, no worries.¡± Laira, Marcus, Rixa, Percival, Breeze and I ¨C are all that is left out of Team Deathbreeze...


    ¡°What is it?¡± I ask Breeze.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared¡­ I don¡¯t want to close my eyes¡­¡±


    I put my arm around her, snuggling up closer, I take her hand into mine and squeeze it gently, turning her face toward me with the other one.


    ¡°I know. But you know too ¨C you¡¯ll recover faster if you sleep¡­ I¡¯m right here¡­¡± I give her a light kiss on the forehead.


    ¡±You¡¯ll be here when I¡¯ll wake up?¡± She whispers, her voice trembling.


    ¡°Yes, promise.¡± I squeeze her hand again and watch her fall asleep. I watch her for a long while, till finally my strength abandons me and I pass out next to Breeze, hugging her to me¡­

 3. The Present

    "Percival, I¡¯m so sorry, have you been waiting long? These days it¡¯s impossible to get anything done¡­" I hear the door close shut and Miss Laira sits down in her chair. I shake my head.


    "No, not at all, it was a nice to take a break."


    "Are you eating well? You look terrible." She looks at me concerned.


    "I¡¯ve might have skipped a few meals here and there¡­" I lower my gaze to my feet. "I¡¯ve been kind of wrapped up with everything¡­"


    "That¡¯ no excuse to neglect your well-being!" Miss gives me a glare that I feel on my skin even without looking.


    "I will, later tonight, right after I check on C¡­ a certain patient¡­" I forgot we¡¯re at the Palace¡­


    "I¡¯ll try to believe you ¨C so anyways, what did you want to talk about?"


    "I was thinking that it would be a good idea to ask the King to sanction a Rebirth Research Division ¨C so we could get a team together to help us with the research and such, without having to use the soldiers¡­ I also thought it should be you, who would need to do it¡­"


    "Why wouldn¡¯t you want to have the soldiers working on this? I¡¯m sure there could be plenty of volunteers, especially some of the ones that came back with us this time around?" Miss Laira gazes at me with a puzzled look.


    "Truth be told, not a lot of soldiers can read anyways¡­ Also, I figured, since his Highness is so fixated on eliminating the Rebirth, having an official Research Division established, would mean that the work would continue even after the King is gone¡­ Plus, that way no expenses would be spared and we could even hire scholars or simply people from the Royal City who can read to help! That way we would be creating jobs¡­ The soldiers could be part of the guards or something?" I see the tears swell up in the yellow eyes. The misty rose skin blushes ever so slightly¡­


    "Miss Laira?"


    "So, you thought about it that far ahead?" She asks me. I nod.


    "That¡¯s a great idea, but why come to me with that? It¡¯s your plan, shouldn''t you be the one to ask the King about this?"


    "With all due respect, Miss, I do believe you would be one of the, possibly, the few people that would be able to see this through to the end¡­" I lower my voice¡­


    "Please don¡¯t say that¡­ Even if I realize it, I don¡¯t want to hear it from you!" She weeps, covering her face with her hands¡­


    "I don¡¯t mean to burden you, Miss, I will make sure to do the research myself and I¡¯ll make sure to leave detailed notes for you! Please, don¡¯t think too much of it! It¡¯s simply a precaution and to be honest, I¡¯m a bit scared to face the King by myself, so¡­"


    "You¡¯re just a boy! You shouldn¡¯t think that far ahead¡­" I see the Miss¡¯s shoulders twitch. I stand up from my chair and carefully place my hand on her lilac-colored hair. I don¡¯t say anything¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do¡­


    "I¡¯m sorry, Percival, I simply don¡¯t want to see my friends suffer¡­" Miss Laira gives me a soft, sad smile, as she wipes her tears away¡­ Even though you will be suffering the most? I think to myself, but don¡¯t say it.


    "Is there anything else you need me to do for you?" She asks.


    "For the RRD? That¡¯s what I want to call it¡­"


    "RRD, sounds good. Yes, for the RRD?" Miss looks at me.


    "No, for the time being that should do, to have it started¡­ We¡¯ll deal with it as we go along."


    "Right, ok." She nods.


    "Well, then I¡¯ll see you later tonight." I bow.


    "See you tonight." The Miss smiles at me with her quivering lips. I leave the office and stand behind the door to listen. Quiet weeps come from the inside of the room¡­ I feel so bad¡­


    I walk into the kitchen and my jaw drops to the floor. I see Breeze sitting in Crile¡¯s lap, while she eats, with Crile nuzzling her neck and shoulder. I turn to leave, but I clash with Laira.


    "Oh sorry, are you leaving?"


    "I think we should." I take her by the hand.


    "Well this is new." Laira can see the picture clearly over my head¡­


    "New? I thought that¡¯s how they always were back in the day?" I turn around to face them.


    "No." Laira shakes her head. "Crile was never the kind to show his affections out in public¡­"


    "Huh, who would have thought¡­" I look them over. They either don¡¯t care that we are right here or are ignoring us completely.


    "You know we can hear you, right?" Shadowkill speaks. Damn.


    "Well, the kitchen is a public area¡­" I giggle nervously.


    "Get used to it." Crile says to me. Somehow that sounds kinda like a threat¡­


    "Is Percival coming round tonight?" Breeze asks Laira, as I go over to help with dinner.


    "He said he will be, but honestly he looks so terrible, the boy is making me worry¡­"


    "Evening everyone." Percival¡¯s here.


    "Speak of the devil." I smile.


    "Hi, Percy, how¡¯s your day been?" Breeze is the first one to strike up the chat with the kid.


    "Oh, quite busy, how are you feeling?" The Cleanser answers yawning. I glance over at Laira and then at the happy couple¡­ All of their eyes say the same thing. Attack.


    "I¡¯m doing fine, thank you for asking, I¡¯ve been following the menu you put together for me and I have been steadily recovering." Breeze¡¯s voice sounds weird. Almost like it has a sweet ring to it?


    "That¡¯s great to hear, Commander." Percival¡¯s voice dies down a bit. I look over my shoulder. The kid¡¯s nodding off right there at the table. Breeze carefully stands up, letting Crile get up too, the Noxian picks the boy up in his arms and takes the Cleanser upstairs.


    "What did you do to him?" I ask. "I didn¡¯t know you knew sleep magic?" I look at the Druid.


    "Don¡¯t be ridiculous, there¡¯s no such thing as sleep magic. How is he?" Breeze asks the Assassin as he sits back down in his place, with his woman back in his lap too.


    "Passed out like a newborn. He might just sleep for a whole day."


    "It¡¯s for the best, he did say he was skipping meals." Laira tells us.


    "He¡¯s too responsible for his own good, the kid will overwork himself to death at this rate, we need to make sure to keep close watch on him¡­" I catch the laugh as it tries to burst out of me, as I hear Breeze say all that¡­


    "Oh, the irony of that¡­" Thank you, Crile.


    "I know, I know, I¡¯m not exactly the one to be saying this¡­" She agrees.


    "Can¡¯t be helped. If anything, you, of all people should know what that feels like, sis." Says Laira, setting some plates on the table.


    "Perfect! Right on time!" Rixa crashes into the kitchen.


    "Evening." Jack follows.


    "Get a room." Culebra hisses, sitting down at the table too.


    "It¡¯ll be a bit before it¡¯s ready." Laira makes the announcement.


    "No rush." The Ram answers.


    "Percival is sleeping at the far end of the hall." Crile lets the guys know.


    "Oh? The kids here?" Rixa says, munching on the snacks.


    "I saw him a few times in the past couple of days. He looks like a walking corpse." Jack confirms.


    "That¡¯s why we¡¯d like to let him rest here for a few days." Breeze adds.


    "Fine with me." Rixa¡¯s the first to agree.


    "No objections." Jack.


    "Whatever." Culebra. As long as it does not affect the Mancer ¨C we are free to do as we please.


    "Thank you all." Breeze says, as Laira and I set the last plates and bowls on the table, sitting down to eat.


    "Oh that''s right!" I almost choke on my salad. Laira hands me a glass. I gulp it down and clear my throat.


    "You were saying?" The Primerian mocks me from across the table.


    "It''s the first of the month." I say, with my stinging throat.


    "Already?" Rixa mumbles with a mouthful.


    "Here." The Ram tosses 3 gold coins on the table. The Mancer puts hers down too. So does the CC.


    "Thank you very much." Laira picks them all up and puts them in our budget jar.


    "What''s this?" Breeze asks.


    "Rent." I answer.


    "More like food money." Laira corrects me.


    "I call it extortion." The Warr murmurs over his glass.


    "Marcus and I go shopping once a month. With so many of us living here we need the money for food and other supplies. We all talked about it and agreed to pitch in." Laira explains.


    "We even have cleaning duties set up." I grin proudly.


    "Except for her." Jack nods towards the Mancer.


    "Somehow I''m not surprised." Breeze smiles. "Please let me know if there''s anything I can do to help as well."


    "Sure thing!" Rixa jumps off his seat. "You may sit there nicely, looking pretty just as you have!" He sends Breeze an air kiss with a wink and a self-pleased grin. Oh Gods...


    "Now can I kill him?" Shadowkill gets up, reaching for his knives.


    "Idiot." Jack lands a blow into Rixa''s ribs, keeling him over on the dinner table.


    "How childish." Culebra is not impressed. As usual.


    "I appreciate the effort, Rixa, but there are limits to this." Breeze stares the CC down.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Oh well, I tried..." He weezes the words out and sits there rubbing his side.


    "What else do you pick up on your shopping trip?" Breeze asks us.


    "Oh just the usual bath stuff and other things. We keep most of the necessities in stock here just in case. We do have spares in the Palace, in case we get stuck there, but it does make it easier, not having to drag everything around with us all of the time." Laira explains as if nothing ever happened. Meanwhile it takes me all I have not to make any comments on what just happened. We finish our dinner without any more mishaps and call it a night soon after...


    "I got the bath ready for you." I tell Breeze closing the bedroom door behind me. I hear a noise outside. Mumbling and feint footsteps. I crack the door open again, just a little, and see Percival dragging his feet down the stairs.


    "What is it?" Breeze asks carefully.


    "Looks like our Cleanser just woke up."


    "Perfect, take him to the bath instead. He looks like could use one. I¡¯ll wait." Breeze waves her hand to me.


    "Sure." I go out of the room and find the disoriented caster in the kitchen.


    "Good Morning, sleep well?" I ask the boy. Very, very slowly he turns around to see me.


    "Mhm." He nods. Oh boy¡­


    "Great, come with me." I take the boy by the shoulders and maneuver him down the hall to the bathroom.


    "Here, you can take a bath, while we get the food ready. Here¡¯s some change of clothes for you."


    "Is that marble?" The boy suddenly seems a bit more awake.


    "Yes, that¡¯s the only thing that¡¯s not made of wood here."


    "It¡¯s a big tub¡­"


    "It¡¯s Noxian sized, ah, here, use this." I hand Percy a wooden stepping stool. "We don¡¯t want you to drown."


    "Huh, oh sure, thank you. Wait, what?" And he¡¯s fully awake now. I smile at his confused face.


    "Wait, are you sure I can?" He asks me.


    "Yes. You need it, Percival, you look like your moments away from dropping dead." I glare at him.


    "Sorry¡­"


    "Don¡¯t be, just take those dirty rags off and leave them over there." I point to the barrels. "Pull the chain if you¡¯ll need more water." I point to the metal chain next to the marble trench that¡¯s towering over the marble tub. The boy examines the whole set up.


    "Take your time. I¡¯ll be back to check on you a bit later, but if you need anything ¨C let me know." I tap the Lector stone on my bracer.


    "Thank you, sir." The boy bows and I leave him be.


    "The boy is in the tub." I reach for Breeze.


    "Perfect." She answers. "I¡¯m in the kitchen." I find her chopping some fruit.


    "Let me." I take the knife from her.


    "I can handle this much."


    "Let me spoil you."


    "Didn¡¯t you say you intend to punish me?" She gives me a look.


    "I do. By spoiling you first, it will make the punishment all the more sweeter later on¡­" I grin.


    "Oh Gods¡­" She murmurs and sits down with a smile.


    I soak in the hot water¡­ "Feels nice¡­" I say it to myself¡­ I hear my stomach growl.


    "Right, better get a move on." I scrub myself head to toe, rinse the soaps out and get out of the tub. I slip and almost flatten myself nose first. I manage to keep my balance and pat myself dry with the towels. Next.


    "Clothes." Right. I put my robes in one of the barrels that have other dirty clothes in it and change into the clothes that Sir Crile left for me. I was afraid they would be too big, but strangely they seem to fit nicely. I brush my teeth and my wet, short, brown curls and spend a good moment staring at my reflection in the mirror ¨C my brown eyes look slightly glazed over. Dark circles sag half way down my face. My beige skin tone has acquired a ghastly shade of green-ish grey¡­ I sigh and leave the bathroom.


    "Something smells nice." I walk into the kitchen. "Commander." I nod. The Lady gives me a disappointed look.


    "Lady?" I studder.


    "That¡¯s better." She nods at me.


    "That was fast, you sure you didn¡¯t want to soak for a bit longer?" Sir Crile asks me.


    "I¡¯m kinda hungry more¡­" I say quietly¡­


    "Sit down, foods about done." The Sir points to a chair.


    "The clothes look good on you." The Lady smiles at me.


    "Thank you, whose clothes am I wearing, anyways?"


    "Laira¡¯s. From back when she used to drink a shrinking potion to make herself the size of an average Primerian girl." Commander answers.


    "Oh¡­" Wow¡­


    "And the lunch is now ready, here you go."


    "Thank you, Sir. Lunch! Wait, what time is it? How long did I sleep?" I jump off the chair.


    "You slept soundly through the night and most of the morning. Everyone left hours ago, we¡¯re the only ones here, so don¡¯t worry and take your time to rest up. That¡¯s an order." The Lady glares at me again. I sit back down.


    "Laira and Marcus are going to inform the Council that you will be taking a few days off, so don¡¯t worry about anything and enjoy yourself for now." Sir pours me some ale.


    "Thank you, I¡¯m sorry for the trouble." I mumble, biting into the meat.


    "Oh please." The Lady waves me off. "I''ve caused you way more trouble. This is the least we can do for you."


    "I believe it¡¯s your bad influence that has the poor boy neglecting his health." Sir mocks her warmly.


    "Not at all!" I quickly shake my head. "I always lose track of time and things when I get immersed into books and such¡­"


    "We figured that may be the case, that¡¯s why we¡¯re forcing you to take a break." Sir Crile speaks calmly to me. "And don¡¯t even think of apologizing again!" He adds quickly. I shut my mouth and nod.


    "Breeze? You ok?" I look over to the Commander. Her facial expression looks like she¡¯s fighting something. She puts her hand over her mouth and quickly goes out the back door.


    "Breeze!" Sir Crile runs after her as do I. I hear hurling sounds and stop in the door way. I quickly go back to the table and look at her plate. Broth, vegetables, a few pieces of fish and meat. I taste a few bites. Bland. It¡¯s been a few days now since I took her off the liquid diet¡­


    "Did she have anything off the menu?" I ask Sir Crile crouching by the Commander, she struggles to push me away.


    "No. We have been following your instructions to the letter. She¡¯s been fine so far."


    "Water." Lady whispers wiping her mouth. The Sir goes back inside and brings out a glass with water for the Lady. She sips it through the straw. We watch her for a bit while she catches her breath.


    "Breeze?" The sir gently rubs her back.


    "How do you feel?" I ask the lady.


    "Weird. I don¡¯t know what happened."


    "Lets get you back inside so I can examine you." We walk her back into the house.


    "Do you think the heals stopped working or something?" Sir Crile asks me.


    "It¡¯s a possibility, but then I¡¯m sure that would have happened sooner."


    "Was it the food then?" Lady Breeze asks me too.


    "It may have been, but you have been consuming solid food for a few days, so if it was the food ¨C I think this would have happened on the first day¡­" We lay her down on one of the couches in the living room. I check her pulse. Steady. No fever. Palms a bit sweaty, but that¡¯s normal with nausea. I scan through her body ¨C doesn¡¯t seem like anything ruptured¡­ Strange¡­


    "Has there been any other signs or symptoms?"


    "Like what?" Sir Crile asks.


    "Anything at all that would have stood out? Trouble sleeping? Food tasting weird? Frequent urination? Constipation? Anything at all?"


    "Well, you had me drinking nothing, but fluids for a week, so¡­"


    "Right. Any body parts that feel different?"


    "I told you they got bigger!" Sir Crile points to the Lady¡¯s chest, his green eyes sparkle¡­


    "Oh, give me a break." The Lady says, sitting up, her double-colored, thick braid falls off her shoulder. Commander¡¯s natural royal blue hair color has begun to show itself, blending in nicely with the darker, almost black blue¡­ Making her azure skin look more a healthy Noxian shade of blue¡­


    "Milady, pardon me for asking, but when was your last¡­" I can¡¯t finish the sentence, it¡¯s too embarrassing!


    "My last what?" She begins the question and falls silent. I gaze up at the Sir.


    "Don¡¯t give me that look! I¡¯m not a psycho! I said I¡¯ll wait till you¡¯re fully recovered!"


    "Did anything happen before the battle, perhaps?" I whisper the words carefully, with my eyes toward the floor¡­


    "Oh Gods¡­" The lady whispers¡­ "Percival?" I hear her call me¡­


    "You¡¯ve been in suspended animation for about six months, and you¡¯ve been awake for about six weeks now? If something did happen before the battle or around that time ¨C then the timeline fits, because the freeze would have prevented the development and¡­"


    "Percival what are you saying here, exactly?" Sir Crile crouches next to me.


    "It¡¯s possible that Lady Breeze is about six weeks pregnant¡­" I shut my eyes and hold my breath¡­


    "Breeze!!!" I hear Sir¡¯s voice a happy cheer. I look up, he has his arms around the Lady¡¯s waist, giving her kisses on her neck and shoulder.


    "Wait, Percy, are you sure?" She doesn¡¯t wait for my answer. "No no no, I can¡¯t be pregnant! I don¡¯t know a single thing about how to be a mother!" She breaks down into a hysteria and covers her face, mumbling. Her shoulders begin to twitch harder, her sobbing getting louder¡­


    "Percival?" The Sir gives me a confused look. I stand up.


    "That¡¯s normal. It¡¯s part of the pregnancy, she might be more emotional now. I¡¯m sure that her throwing up just now was due to the pregnancy as well¡­" The lady sobs louder, mumbling something¡­


    "I can¡¯t be, I¡¯m not suited, I¡¯m a horrible¡­"


    "Can we do anything about her?"


    "Let me take a look at the herb cabinet¡­" Huh? I pat my waist and torso down. Gone? How? "The pouch belt I had on me?"


    "By the bed." Sir answers me, without looking as he tries to calm the Lady. I go back to the room and get my herbs. Sleep magic does not exist in our world, but there are herbs that help with insomnia and other things. I picked up a few tricks from Burla too, she was an Air shaman, and knew a few quick chants. One was a strengthening spell. I wonder if it would help strengthening certain properties in other herbs? I take a bowl and a measuring scale. I make the ratio of my enchanted herbs with some of the other ones, with a three to one, and grind them together, while the water boils. I place a teaspoon of the herbs into a cup. I whisper the strengthening enchantment, as I hold my palm over the top of the cup ¨C the herbal dust makes a small wave, just for a moment and settles down. I repeat the same process with the rest of the herbs in the grinding bowl and store them in an empty bottle. I rustle for a pencil and scribble CALMING HERBS on the label. I pour the hot water into the cup and mix it with a teaspoon of honey. Hope this works.


    "I slept with Rixa!!" I hear the Lady scream out and go back to her hysteria, as loud as ever¡­ I freeze in the door way¡­


    "He''s so dead, this time for sure¡­" The sir whispers.


    "Don¡¯t! It¡¯s not his fault! It happened long ago! Way back when..." The lady continues with her sobbing¡­ I drag my feet carefully across the floor, trying my best not to get noticed. Sir Crile catches me in action.


    "I didn¡¯t hear anything!" I tell him quickly and set the cup down.


    "Thank you." He nods and pries the Ladies hands open off of her face, her sky-blue eyes are sparkling because of the tears¡­ Pretty¡­


    "Ok, fine, whatever, I don¡¯t care! It doesn¡¯t matter anymore! That happened a life time ago! Forget it! You¡¯re pregnant! Do you know what that means?" The Lady sniffs a few times and lightly shakes her head. Sir Crile continues¡­


    "It means that from this point on you and I are a family! You¡¯ll be a mother and I will be a father! We have a chance at another life together and I¡¯m not passing up on it! Not even if I die! So, whether you like it or not, Zarri, you¡¯re stuck with me!" Sir Crile holds the Lady by the shoulders. Only then I notice that the Sir¡¯s face has sunken in even more than before. His blue-grey-ish skin darkened, and his usual short, spiky, dark forest green cut had grown out too¡­ Now the hair''s combed back. Something about that image of the two of them made me feel nostalgic¡­ The Lady finally stops crying¡­


    "There we go, good girl¡­" The Sir wipes the tears off the Lady¡¯s face and sits back down next to her on the couch. He gestures to the cup. I pick it up and offer it to Lady Breeze.


    "Look, Percival made this for you, it¡¯ll help¡­" She carefully takes it from me and sips the lukewarm tea, holding the cup with both of her hands. After a few sips more, she glances up at me.


    "I¡¯m sorry you have to see me like this¡­"


    "It¡¯s alright, don¡¯t worry about that, it¡¯s perfectly normal." I smile at them. "I left the rest of the herbal mixture in a bottle in the kitchen, if you ever feel moody again, feel free to mix one teaspoon of the herbs with one teaspoon of honey and make tea with it, drink it slowly, I used an enchantment to strengthen the calming properties of the herbs, so don¡¯t overdo it."


    "Won¡¯t the enchantment weaken over time?" The Sir asks me


    "No, enchantments like that are used to reinforce an existing skill or ability ¨C they only weaken once the skill is used, till then, the enchantment remains dormant."


    "That¡¯s helpful." Sir Crile nods.


    "Burla taught me a lot¡­" I bite my tongue. I spoke without thinking! I brace myself for another wave¡­


    "Burla was a good kid¡­" The lady says calmly. I hold my breath. "I should have never taken her with us to the Castle¡­"


    "Looks like your spell is working." Sir tells me.


    "Perhaps I should have used less of my Shaman herbs¡­"


    "No, it¡¯s fine. Thank you." Lady Breeze shakes her head. "You have an interesting look on you, Percy, is something the matter?"


    "Oh no, I was simply thinking that the two of you feel strangely nostalgic, I wonder if that¡¯s what watching parents feels like, that¡¯s all, I¡¯m an orphan, so¡­" I quickly shut my mouth¡­


    "I¡¯m sorry, we never knew¡­" Sir Criles looks up at me as well.


    "Don¡¯t worry about it." I shake my head.


    "Then I want Percival to be our child¡¯s Godparent." Lady Breeze smiles at me.


    "What? Wait. I can¡¯t possibly be, Miss Lair and Sir Marcus are better suited!"


    "No, they are already aunt and uncle by default, because Laira is Breeze¡¯s sister. The kid is gonna need someone as smart as you in their lives. It doesn¡¯t matter if we¡¯ll be staying here or going home. You''ve proven yourself to be more than qualified."


    "Then it¡¯s settled!" Lady puts the cup down and smile at me again. I bow.


    "Thank you for the honor."

 4. The Party

    Marcus and I walk into the kitchen and find Breeze, Crile and Percival chatting.


    "How are you feeling?" Marcus asks the boy.


    "Refreshed, thank you." Percy nods and quickly looks away again. Huh? Ok.


    "Is everyone here already or is it you two only?" Breeze asks me.


    "Just us. Why?" I look at her. She looks as if she¡¯s blushing? Crile has a silly grin on him too. "Did something happen?" I ask them.


    "Possibly so." Our Cleanser answers me.


    "Ok, well are you going to make us guess or what?" Marcus sits down all curious too.


    "Laira, you may wanna sit down for this too." Crile pulls up a chair for me with one hand, right next to the happy couple. I walk over and sit down all confused now.


    "Should I be worried?" I ask looking the two over.


    "Probably not. We¡¯ll see." Breeze starts and takes a breath. "According to Percival, I may be, give or take, six weeks pregnant¡­"


    "HUH! WAIT! WHAT!" I jump off my chair and feel my entire body trembling. "That¡¯s wonderful!" I finally snap out of it and hug the both of them.


    "Wait, for real?" Marcus stares at the boy.


    "It might take a few weeks for us to be completely sure, as with Com, I mean the Lady''s current condition it is a bit tricky to tell for certain, but there is a good chance¡­" Percival lowers his voice.


    "Wow. Ok then¡­ Congratulations?" Marcus extends his hand to Crile. I let them go.


    "Thank you." Crile shakes the hand firmly.


    "No way¡­" Rixa stands in the door way.


    "You better not have any ideas of having your wretched litter here, Druid!" Culebra steps into the view.


    "Does this mean we need to move out?" Jack¡¯s voice reaches us too.


    "I thought you said you guys are the only ones back?" Breeze stares at the others.


    "We decided to end it early today." Jack speaks from the living room.


    "Well. No helping it then. Saves us the trouble." Crile says.


    "These two wanted to check in¡­" Rixa steps aside. Zaltem and Aodynna walk in.


    "Sorry to barge in like this!!" The young Druid bows.


    "We¡¯ll come back later¡­" The girl seems to be uncomfortable with the whole situation.


    "Oh? No, it¡¯s fine." Breeze speaks softly to them. "I¡¯m glad to see you are well."


    "Thank you, Commander." The boy keeps his head down.


    "How did you two end up together with Rixa and the others?" Crile¡¯s a bit surprised. Come to think of it, so am I¡­


    "We wanted to ask miss Evergreen about Commander¡¯s condition, but she had already left." The Druid answers.


    "We ran into them by the stables as we were leaving." Rixa adds.


    "Zaltem has been training under me, so I don¡¯t think it will cause problems." I quickly fill in the blanks.


    "Ah, alright then." Breeze nods.


    "This calls for a celebration!" I declare.


    "Oh, miss, not for Commander, I mean, not for the Lady. She will have to stick to the usual menu for now. Pregnancy can sometimes have an impact on ones taste for food, so for the time being ¨C I¡¯d like it if she would have the usual." Percival explains.


    "Not a problem. You guys can still enjoy yourselves." Breeze says with a smile.


    "Perfect! Then I¡¯ll get to it¡­" A dragon¡¯s shriek reaches us from the outside.


    "What was that?" Crile¡¯s the first to react.


    "Storm." Sis is right behind him. "Someone is out there. Nobody can know I¡¯m alive!"


    "Get out there and search!" Crile dashes out the back door. "Laira! Stay with her!" I hear him from the outside.


    "Right!"


    Sir dashes out the back door. "Laira! Stay with her!" We hear him from the outside. Sir Marcus and Sir Rixa with Sir Jack have run out the front too. I stagger for a bit and run after them as well.


    "Great! How are we supposed to track anyone without a Beast?" The CC scowls. Storm is looking at the forest. Direction of the Palace.


    "One rider. Straight ahead." Aodynna points to the same direction. She has her legs transformed.


    "Are you sure?" Sir Crile runs up to us. She nods.


    "AXE!" Sir yells and a blood bay colored tiger-horse comes out the stables in a slow trot. Sir jumps on it.


    "Lead the way." He tells the Shaman girl. She runs over to her palomino horse and takes off. The rest follow her lead. I too, take my dun horse and dive into the woods after the rest of them. Sirs Jack and Rixa are riding a bit more to the left. Sir Crile and Aodynna are going strong straight ahead. Sir Marcus and Zaltem are dashing more to the right. With me chasing after all of them.


    "Surround them!" I hear Sir Crile give the command. A horse¡¯s squeal follows suit.


    "No! Wait! Stop!" A girl¡¯s voice screams in the commotion. I jump of my dun and run over to get a better look. A person is squirming on the ground with Sir Crile and the rest surrounding them. Sir jumps of his Celodian and takes out a knife. It hits me.


    "Wait!" I call out and run over to the girl. I pull the hood off.


    "Levi?" Sir Marcus gets off his black horse.


    "Yes!" The Balli Ice Mage cries out.


    "What the heck are you doing, sneaking around like that?" Sir Crile sheaths his knife. The girl¡¯s lip twitches and she screams out.


    "Nobody asked for me in weeks!! I got worried!!!"


    "Oh Gods¡­" Sir Crile covers his face with one hand. "My bad, Levi. I¡¯m so sorry." He leans in and hold his hand to her. She hesitates. I help her up instead.


    "Is there anyone else?" Sir Marcus asks Aodynna.


    "No. All clear."


    Sir Rixa bursts into laughter. "Idiot." The Warrior mocks the Assassin.


    "Yeah yeah. Shut it." Sir answers him getting back on his Celodian.


    "Can we go back now?" Sir Jack asks turning his grulla Robastant around.


    "Sure." Sir Crile nods.


    "Then we¡¯ll take our leave." The Shaman says getting on her palomino.


    "You¡¯ve come all this way, might as well stay for dinner. It¡¯s getting late too." Sir Marcus adds.


    "Besides, Laira¡¯s probably preparing a feast anyways." Sir Crile seconds. "You too, Levi."


    "Well, if it¡¯s alright with you." Zaltem turns his white Celodian around.


    "Perfect. Then let¡¯s go." Sir Rixa¡¯s chestnut Celodian is the first one to dash off. I help Levi get back on her pinto horse and climb back on my dun. Everyone takes off one by one. Soon enough we are all gathered in front of the cabin again.


    "There¡¯s plenty of food and water for all the mounts." Sir Crile announces. Zaltem, Aodynna, Levi and I take our time settling the horses in.


    "Is it really ok for us to be here?" The Druid asks quietly.


    "I feel out of place like this¡­" The Shaman follows.


    "All will be fine. They are a lot more welcoming than they seem." I try to calm them.


    "Is anyone going to tell me what is going on?" Levi stares at me with her sandy brown eyes.


    "You¡¯ll find out in a moment." I smile at her and we go inside. The smell of the food hits me as soon as we step over the threshold. Everyone is gathered at the kitchen table. The four of us stand in the door way. I see the Commander¡¯s astounded sky-blues stare at Levi.


    "This is Levi, the Ice Mage." I quickly announce. Everyone else quiets down.


    "Right. Of course." The Lady shakes her head. "Levi." Her face has a slightly sad expression. She must¡¯ve thought that it is Burla standing here¡­ The same salmon colored skin is rather confusing. Not to mention the same light colored burlywood hair, tied at the back¡­ The Balli people aren¡¯t known for their height. Levi and Burla were about the height of a teenage Primerian, and so was Tonso. The Balli resemble shorter versions of Noxians. Their skin tones range in a variety of red. Maybe a slight shade of brown or even maroon¡­ Besides their skin colors, the Balli have one other unique feature - slightly disproportionate limbs. Their hands are longer and bulkier than they should be for that height. Ancient stories tell us that their colors and their limbs come from the earth¡¯s core. They say the Balli people had to claw their way out of the bowels of Hell¡­ Probably referring to the lava. I¡¯m not sure how anyone could live in scorching pools of liquid fire, but magic is full of mysteries¡­ On the other hand, that might explain the burnt look their skin has¡­ Like a sunburn, but way worse¡­ Levi and Burla have the same-colored skin. Only Burla had bright orange-colored eyes¡­ Levi¡¯s are a bit paler in comparison¡­ Tonso, on the other hand, had a very dark colored skin. Almost blood red¡­ With his ginger hair and beard, he looked like a walking campfire. He had warm grey eyes¡­ Commander stands up and bows her head.


    "Thank you for your hard work. I am sorry to have worried you." She looks straight at Levi. I give the Mage a nudge.


    "Happy to see you well!" She bursts out and bows.


    "Thank you all, for everything." The lady looks all four of us over.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "With pleasure." Zaltem smiles.


    "Sure." Aodynna mumbles.


    "Perfect;" Miss Laira picks up a few plates; "everyone, grab something." She walks past us and sets the plates on the coffee table by the couches in the living room. Others follow her lead. Everyone begins to settle down on the couches. I take two kitchen chairs and set them down on the other end of the table, by the front door. Lady Culebra has taken up her, now, usual spot, on the far end of the left couch, closer to the door. Levi makes camp on the same far end on the right couch. Sir Jack has brought two more kitchen chairs and sits them down by the other end of the couches. Sir Crile has taken the chair by the right couch, with lady Breeze on the couch next to his chair. Sir Marcus and miss Laira have settled next to the Mancer. Aodynna finally takes the empty spot between Levi and Commander. Zaltem sits down next to me, on the other chair. Sir Rixa sits on the highchair at the end of the table, facing us. Sir Jack takes up the last kitchen chair, on the left side, by the couch. The Shaman girl helps passing out the wooden glasses that the CC is quickly filling up with vine. Zaltem hands me one. His long arms are a quicker reach.


    "I propose a toast!" The Warrior gets up from his chair, holding his glass up.


    "Great. To what?" The Ram mocks the CC. A quick giggle rolls over in a wave.


    "To Life." I hear my own voice announce as my body stand up on its own.


    "To Life!" Lady Breeze and Sir Crile raise their glasses.


    "To Life!" Sir Marcus and Miss Laira stand up as well. Zaltem follows. Aodynna and Levi too. Sir Jack stands up as well. The only one left sitting down is lady Culebra.


    "Whatever." She murmurs and sips her vine.


    "You¡¯re the life of the party as always." Sir Crile mocks the Mancer. Another wave of laughter rolls over.


    "Cheers!" We say and thud the glasses.


    "Dig in!" Miss Evergreen proclaims cheerfully and the noise picks up. I take an empty plate and pack it up with food, saving me the trouble to have to reach for it. I soon realize I¡¯m stuck. I put my glass on the floor.


    "Hold on." The Druid next to me, picks the glass up and hands it back to me. I take it and wait. He put¡¯s a pouch on the floor between our chairs and Vines slither out of it, forming themselves into a small, rounded top stand with one leg.


    "Impressive." Lady Breeze is looking at us. I put my glass down. Seems sturdy.


    "Thank you, Milady. I have been practicing a lot¡­" The young man¡¯s grey colored skin blushes. The teal eyes gazing down.


    "I can tell." The lady raises her glass to the Druid. He nods his short cut, indigo head and quickly sips his vine.


    "By the way, Aodynna, how were you able to track Levi?" The Lady addresses the Shaman. The girl puts her plate down.


    "I transform my feet and legs and merge them with the earth. That way I can pick up on the vibrations in the ground. A galloping horse is easy to spot in a quiet area."


    "I must say I am rather proud of you. I had no idea the Overtake could be used in such a way." Commander praises the Shaman.


    "Neither did I. The old man told me."


    "Tonso?" Lady Breeze turns more to the girl.


    "Yes." Aodynna confirms.


    "That¡¯s not the only thing she picked up from the old man." Sir Rixa mocks the young Shaman.


    "What do you mean?" The Lady looks at the Warrior confused.


    "He¡¯s referring to this." The girl stands up dangling a pouch of water. "It¡¯s vine."


    "Excuse me?" The Lady stares surprised.


    "The old shaman said that one becomes a true Earth Shaman once you no longer feel the taste of vine¡­ Or food¡­" She sits back down¡­ "He also said that abusing the Overtake too many times will cause for the taste to come back, however, the caster will have a few years left, at best, after that¡­" She adds quickly and doesn¡¯t say anything else. Nor does anyone else for a long moment. Suddenly Tonso¡¯s excessive drinking habit makes sense¡­ I had no idea that the Overtake has such a side-effect¡­


    "We better not waste any of this delicious food;" Sir Marcus breaks the silence; "not unless we want to incur the old man¡¯s wrath." He tries to laugh, but it back fires. Miss Laira begins to giggle and suddenly bursts into laughter.


    "You don¡¯t have to tell me twice!" Sir Rixa guzzles down his vine and shoves a giant piece of meat into his mouth. Suddenly everyone is laughing and chatting again. Well, almost everyone. Our Necromancer, remains indifferent to the most of the scene, as usual. I focus my gaze on the older Primerian woman. For someone in her late fifties, she had a rather good figure. Staying in shape wasn¡¯t really a priority for casters, but Lady Culebra seemed to be keeping up nicely. The long, grey hair paired rather well with the pale skin. I heard she lived in a swamp, which explains the lack of color. Yet somehow, she did not look sickly. Her piercing blue eyes gave the entire look an almost divine vibe¡­ The Mancer reminded me of Lady Devona. Same long, silver hair. Same blue eyes. Except that Lady Devona has pale blue skin¡­ The Mancer¡¯s main feature is the unreadable facial expression. Always giving off the bored and unimpressed gaze¡­ Next to Lady Culebra is Sir Marcus. As any Primerian¡¯s skin, his is beige. Slightly tanned. His dark blonde hair is in the typical Primerian short cut too. His pale green eyes are tracking every movement Miss Laira makes. The Miss¡¯s lilac hair is put up in a messy bun, with a red ribbon holding it in place. She seems to be enjoying herself.


    Sir Rixa gets struck on the back a few times by Sir Jack. Everyone laughs at the CC warrior as his azure face turns bright red. His gold eyes bulging out of their sockets. His shoulder length, navy hair, half braided, get rough up by Sir Jack¡¯s hand. The CC smacks the hand off, earning another wave of laughter. The Ram has a standard heavy-type warrior bulky frame. Everything about the man resembles a Primerian. Except for the horns. That¡¯s a trademark of the Cornutese people. Symbolizing the dabbing in dark magic their ancestors did¡­ His horns are short, with the ends curling up. The skin tone has a nice tan. As expected from someone spending time outside, training. The brown hair is barely visible. It¡¯s an extra short crop. Fitting a fighter. The brown eyes seem almost black. The Ram¡¯s sitting between two Noxians, the tallest humanoids, yet his broad shoulder¡¯s make the Warrior seem bigger than the Ravo and the CC. My gaze slips away from the two warriors and focuses on the happy couple. It makes me smile, seeing Commander lighten up. She has a knack for overdoing it¡­ I wish the both of them all the best. I catch Zaltem stealing a glance at the Shaman girl. I look her over. Black hair. I do believe it was longer six months ago¡­ The hazel eyes throw a glare at me and the Druid. We both quickly look away. I look up again and notice Levi dozing off. Her glass slips out of her hand. I catch it.


    "My, seems we have lost track of time." Miss Laira smiles.


    "I¡¯ll say, when did the Mancer disappear?" Sir Marcus stares at the empty spot next to him.


    "A while ago." I answer.


    "Well, I guess this is a good place to call it a night. Some of you have work in the morning anyways." Lady Breeze stands up and glares at me. "Not you though." I open my mouth to say something¡­


    "Don¡¯t." Sir Crile cuts me off picking up the plates. I shut up. A quiet group giggle mocks me ever so slightly.


    "Excuse me;" Aodynna raises her hand; "where¡¯s the restroom here?"


    "Straight through there, all the way to the back and to the right. The bathroom is the door straight up ahead." Sir Marcus points to the hallway next to the staircase. The Shaman nods and gets off the couch.


    "It¡¯s ok, Rixa. We¡¯ll handle it." Commander takes the trays away from the Warrior. "You guys go on ahead."


    "Oh, well, if you insist, Commander." He salutes her back with a wide grin.


    "Drop the ¡°Commander¡±, will ya." We hear coming from the kitchen.


    "Goodnight everyone." Jack nods and drags the CC by the collar with him.


    "Night!" The Warrior manages to weez a word out. Levi¡¯s sleeping body keels over and she almost crashes head first to the table. I grab her by the shoulder, put my hands under her and pick her up. I get stopped by the stairs by Aodynna.


    "What are you doing?" She asks, glaring suspiciously.


    "I was going to offer the room that I¡¯m staying at, for you girls to sleep in tonight. I was planning on taking the couch here."


    "Then I¡¯ll be crashing down here too." Zaltem raises his hand. "The couch looks big enough."


    "They are Noxian sized." Sir Crile comes back to take a few more plates back into the kitchen.


    "Just like everything else in here." Sir Marcus winks at us. "I¡¯ll get the boys some covers from the closet. Goodnight, ladies." He nods to the Shaman girl.


    "Alright, goodnight then." Aodynna nods. "Lead the way." She tells me. I walk up the stairs and take her to the far end of the hall. I point to the door on the right and she opens it. Two beds are set up along the walls, with a chair and a night stand next to each bed, the back wall has one giant window on it. The heavy drapes cover it up. To the right of the open door, stands a small sized basin, with a water jug next to it and a mirror above it. To the left stands a large chest of drawers. I put Levi in the bed that I slept in and tuck her in.


    "If you want to wash your hands or your face, you need to pour the water here. Once you¡¯re done, just pull on that." I show the cork at the bottom of the marble bowl. "The nightstand is simply hiding the marble trenches that let the water flow down. The towels are in there." I add quickly, pointing to the chest.


    "No, yeah, I figured that out after using the restroom." She stares at the basin. "Why aren¡¯t they using normal pipes and such?"


    "I think the metal pipes tend to freeze up in winter more easily. This is all wood." I knock on the wall. "So, the marble trenches keep the water flowing. That¡¯s also why they have barrels of clean water in the kitchen and the bathroom ¨C the water isn¡¯t as cold when it sits room temperature like this." I point to the jug. "Especially in summer. Of course, for more warm water ¨C there are the Heat and Spark Stones under the basin and a mini fire place too. See." I pull on the marble drawer and slide the plate to the side. The Shaman leans in and takes a look.


    "I see." She leans back and I close the drawer.


    "Let me know if you need anything else."


    "Sure. Goodnight." The girl tells me and I leave the room. I get back downstairs. Some pillows and blankets are already set on the two couches. I go into the kitchen. To my surprise, the guys have taken care of everything. I stand in the doorway like a lost puppy.


    "Don¡¯t sweat it. You can help tomorrow with breakfast." Miss Laira smiles at me. She saw right through me. I step out to the living room. So many Light Stones shine on the walls. Light Stones are one of the magical artifacts that were created by Primerians. Artificial lights. Light Stones are the same as Heat Stones ¨C safe to use, but require magic to be activated. The difference between the two is that Light Stones are made out of glass or crystal. The clearer the surface, the more light shines out of it. Those also are the more expensive ones, as well. Light Stones also come in all shapes and sizes, and colors. They resemble the Fire Vials that Mages and Shamans carry round. Only the Light stones are made from thicker glass and reinforced by enchantments, making them harder to break. The glass used for the vials is thin, on purpose, to be easily broken when needed and the only reinforcements they use are fire proofing.


    Heat Stones are the same way. Except that they are darker and thicker than Light Stones, and are usually made from rock. The stone is full of holes, same as Light ones, so that the fire would not die, after it has been put inside the stone and sealed. That gives it two ways to keep the fire going. By feeding it mana or thin straws of paper or wood. Of course, if the fire inside of the stone goes out it becomes nothing more than a paperweight. The Spark Stones are just as popular because they do not require any magic. All one needs is two rocks and some dry grass, wood or anything else that burns well. By hitting the two stones together you get a spark and voila. Fire. Heat Stones vary in size and are popular to use on ships, since they don¡¯t have an open flame, and stone ovens sometimes are too large and heavy for some ships¡­ So, if you have the flame going already, then all you have to do is keep it alive by pouring mana into it. In theory anyone with mana can be a Mage of any Force of Choice¡­ It¡¯s simply easier to keep something alive with mana rather than twisting it, to make it obey you¡­


    "Oh, if it¡¯s too bright for you, pull on that and the lids will come down. We usually never have anyone staying down here, so the stones are always lit up." Sir Marcus shows me the chain, by the stairs. The lids? I focus above the metal holder where the stones are put up and notice the carved out metal lids. A thin rope connects all the lids and goes around the entire living room.


    "Same here." Sir Marcus shows me another chain, on the outside of the kitchen door. "That¡¯s for the hallway."


    "Right, thank you."


    "Well, sleep easy, see you in the morning." He waves to me walking up the stairs.


    "Sleep well."


    "Right then, all settled?" Miss Laira comes out from the kitchen.


    "I think so, thank you." I nod. Zaltem walks out to the living room too.


    "Goodnight, Miss Evergreen. Thank you for your hospitality." The Druid nods.


    "Goodnight boys." Sir Crile.


    "Rest well. I mean it." Lady Breeze glares at me for a quick moment and smiles.


    "Of course." I bow lightly and smile back.


    "Goodnight." Zaltem bows too. I watch them disappear upstairs and pull on the chain to dim the lights in the living room. The lights from the hallway don¡¯t seem to be too bright, so, I leave them alone.


    "Is it always like this here?" The Noxian asks, preparing the couch for bed.


    "I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯m not always here, but I can imagine that yes."


    "A lot of people see Milady as a rude, suicidal nutcase, but she¡¯s quite caring¡­ Even Sir Shadowkill¡­"


    "Think so? Wait, suicidal nutcase?" I turn to the Druid.


    "Mhm. The week of challenges was hard to bear¡­ We did end up learning new ways to use our skills, but the heat, towards Milady from the troops was¡­" He lowers his gaze and his voice. I laugh.


    "Don¡¯t worry, nobody gave her more grief about it than Miss Evergreen."


    "I see." The Druid slips out of his gear and is left standing in his undergarments. Good idea. I do the same, fold the clothes nicely and set them down on the table. I feel a chill run through me and quickly slip under the blanket.


    "I think that Commander acts the way she does only because a War Chieftain cannot be soft hearted. She puts on an act for the sake of the title¡­ Besides, I think her personal belief is that if she alone is enough to handle something ¨C she¡¯d rather not pull others into it¡­"


    "What makes you say that?" The boy asks.


    "Her challenger series. I think she wanted to send a message to the troops that if they can¡¯t beat her ¨C they don¡¯t stand a chance with the Rebirth¡­" I snuggle up under the blanket.


    "I can see how that would make sense, but in reality¡­"


    "That was a suicide mission for her. The King threaten to wage war against Noxanda if Commander refused to follow through with his plan¡­" I whisper.


    "WHAT!" The Druid jumps up and sits back down covering his mouth. "She is caring, isn¡¯t she." He whispers laying down.


    "They all are. Once you are part of their group, they will look out for you. That¡¯s simply who they are¡­"


    "I¡¯m happy I could be part of this, even for one night¡­" Zaltem whispers.


    "Me too¡­" I whisper and drift off.

 5. The Dragons and the Issues

    ¡°Ouch.¡± A muffled moan reaches my sleepy mind. I open one eye. Aodynna¡¯s back is standing over Zaltem¡¯s couch. Levi is waving at me shyly. I push myself off the couch and rest my weight on my elbows.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I ask. Wow. I sound terrible.


    ¡°We need to leave now or we¡¯ll be late.¡± The Shaman answers me.


    ¡°Oh yeah, sure, ok, give me a moment.¡± Zaltem sits up and covers up again. ¡°Do you mind?¡± He asks the girl, slightly blushing. I think?


    ¡°Just hurry up.¡± The girl walks away from the Druid and goes straight out the front door.


    ¡°We¡¯ll wait outside then.¡± The Balli Mage whispers and leaves too. My head hurts. I put it back down on the pillow and hug it.


    ¡°Thank the others for us, and apologize, please.¡± Zaltem murmurs to me getting dressed and I wave lazily at his words.


    ¡°You guys are not staying for breakfast?¡± Miss Laira¡¯s voice. The Druid freezes up instantly, half way through making his couch. I raise my head up again.


    ¡°Aodynna said they need to leave or they¡¯ll be late.¡± My head smacks back down into the fluffiness¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame.¡± Sir Marcus.


    ¡°Thank you for your hospitality.¡± The Druid finally recovers from the unexpected ambush. ¡°Sorry for the trouble.¡± He bows his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You are all welcome here any time.¡± Miss Laira¡¯s voice seems to be fading away. She probably went into the kitchen or down the hall¡­


    ¡°Thank you very much, Miss.¡± The Druid bows again. ¡°See you later.¡± He backs away, all the way out the front door.


    ¡°If you want, you can move upstairs now and sleep some more.¡± Sir Marcus crouches next to me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come around soon.¡± I mumble with a mouthful of pillow.


    ¡°No rush, it¡¯s your day off still.¡± He answers walking away. I turn on my side and drift off again¡­


    ¡°Good morning!¡± My body reacts to the loud greeting, before my mind has time to process anything. A smacking sound follows Sir Rixa¡¯s salute.


    ¡°What was that for?¡± The CC sounds rather surprised.


    ¡°The kid¡¯s sleeping.¡± Sir Jack.


    ¡°I¡¯m awake.¡± I sit up and wave to the people behind me, taking my shirt off the table and pulling it over my head.


    ¡°Sleep good?¡± The Ram warrior puts a cup on the table.


    ¡°Pretty good yeah.¡± I yawn and take the cup. ¡°Thank you.¡± I nod and take a sip. Wow. The energy pours over me instantly. I take another sip and my eyelids evaporate. Strong stuff. I put the cup down, pull the pants on and stack the pillows and the blankets on the corner, clearing the couch.


    ¡°Those go into the second door on your left.¡± Sir Marcus sets some plates. I nod and grab the pile. I stand there, realizing I can¡¯t see. I see the two pillows on the top get swept away. Lady Breeze.


    ¡°Need a hand?¡± She asks smiling.


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    ¡°Morning.¡± Sir Crile takes Zaltem¡¯s pile. I follow them. ¡°Sleep good?¡±


    ¡°Why is everyone asking me that?¡± I hear my voice escape me. The Lady laughs.


    ¡°Because we care.¡± She opens the closet door and walks in. I wait.


    ¡°Go on inside. Breeze will help put those away.¡± Sir Crile stands to the side of the door. I walk in.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite spacious.¡±


    ¡°We made it a point to make it so that a few people could fit in here at a time. We also have backups of a bunch of other things too. Blankets and pillows included.¡± She takes the blanket from me and puts on the empty space on the shelf. ¡°Can you bring the pillows in from Crile?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± I walk out into the hall and stand on my toes to reach the top pillow. I snatch it almost falling over, but manage to keep it together. I take the other pillow and bring it back to the Lady.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She takes one and puts it on the lower shelf. I put the other one next to it.


    ¡°Heads up.¡± Sir stacks the blanket over my head and quickly leaves the closet. I stand up again and look around. Same as in the bathroom. Shelves are stacked with pillows of all sizes. Blankets for all seasons. Even coats, hats and boots? How thoughtful¡­ I smile and walk out of the closet.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I ask Commander.


    ¡°A bit weird. It hasn¡¯t really sunken in to me yet¡­ But for now, least I¡¯m not nauseas or anything.¡± She quickly puts a bright smile on her face.


    ¡°Let me know if you feel anything at any time.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± She puts her hand on my back. ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± I nod and almost clash with Lady Culebra¡¯s back.


    ¡°Pardon me.¡± I studder quickly.


    ¡°When are you fighting me, Druid? I am tired of waiting.¡± The Mancer speaks coldly.


    ¡°Fighting?¡± I look at Commander.


    ¡°We have some unfinished business.¡±


    ¡°Which involves fighting?¡± I ask Lady Deathbreeze again.


    ¡°Yes. Is there a problem, cub?¡± Lady Culebra stares at me.


    ¡°I¡¯d advise against full body shapeshifting till after childbirth¡­¡± I feel my eyes scream for help.


    ¡°Wonderful idea. I second that.¡± Praise the Gods for Sir Crile!


    ¡°It¡¯s not funny.¡± The Mancer is not pleased¡­


    ¡°As of yesterday, Percival is in charge of Breeze¡¯s health. If he says no shifting. It means. No shifting.¡± The Assassins holds the Mancer¡¯s gaze. I do believe that¡¯s not exactly how this works¡­


    ¡°I would not advise sparring of any kind for the time being either¡­¡± I quickly grab a sandwich and munch on it in my corner¡­


    ¡°There you have it.¡± Sir Crile hands a plate to Lady Breeze and takes one for himself too.


    ¡°Ridiculous.¡± The Mancer persists.


    ¡°I can fight you with one paw.¡± Commander sticks her hand out in front of her face, grinning. Suddenly her grin turns into a painful expression. She drops the plate and covers her mouth with her hand. She coughs and blood oozes though her fingers.


    ¡°Percival!¡± Sir Crile quickly puts the plate down and drops to his knees next to the Lady. I rush over. The Lady pushes us away.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­I¡¯m fine¡­¡± She whispers. Her breathing¡¯s normal again. She wipes the blood off her lips. Sir Marcus hands her a kitchen towel.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± Sir Rixa asks, breaking the silence.


    ¡°Breeze?¡± Miss Laira sounds worried.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Really.¡± She smiles at us.


    ¡°Percival?¡± Sir Crile looks up at me.


    ¡°We need to examine her again and thoroughly, this time.¡± I check the Lady¡¯s pulse. Normal.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I made a mess.¡± Commander kneels down and picks up the food off the floor. Sir Jack brings the garbage bucket from the kitchen and puts it next to the Lady.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She whispers. Miss Laira takes the wooden plate and the bucket back into the kitchen and brings a new plate for the Lady.


    ¡°Thank you Laira.¡± She nods and gets up. Sir Crile follows her. ¡°Please, don¡¯t mind me. I¡¯ll just go freshen up.¡± She nods to us and they walk down the hall to the bathroom.


    ¡°I thought you said she was fine?¡± Sir Rixa stares at me.


    ¡°She was. When I checked her yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll take a look at her together again after breakfast.¡± Miss Laira tries to stay calm.


    ¡°No use crying over spilled milk.¡± Sir Jack sits back down and continues with his breakfast. Bit by bit, we all get back to eating. Lady Breeze and Sir Crile come back to the living room shortly after. Nobody says anything. Lady Culebra is the first to finish her meal and leave. The Ram is second. The close-combatant hesitates, but follows out the heavy warrior. The Mage finishes eating and tries to clear his plate. Miss Laira stops him.


    ¡°You should go. I¡¯ll run a bit late.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± He gives her a quick kiss on the lips and leaves.


    ¡°We better get started then.¡± Miss Evergreen stands up. Sir Crile and I get off our couch as well. Lady Breeze, very uncharacteristically, does not even try to argue. She lays down flat on the couch.


    ¡°I¡¯ll check the Vines first.¡± Miss Laira kneels down next to the Lady. She lifts the side of her sweater, exposing the skin. Tiny, almost microscopic Vines, slither out from the pouch on the Miss¡¯s waist. They puncture the Druid¡¯s skin and pierce deeper into the Lady¡¯s body. Sir Crile sits down on the other couch. His face is grim. No wonder. I stand next to the Lady, monitoring her pulse. All¡¯s good so far. Miss Evergreen takes her time. My back begins to ache as I stand hunched over the Lady. A chair appears behind me. I look to my right. Sir Crile stands next to the kitchen chair. I nod and sit down. He goes back to the couch.


    ¡°I can¡¯t detect anything. The Vines have merged nicely.¡± Miss Laira seems rather disappointed.


    ¡°Her pulse is normal too. The breathing¡¯s steady.¡± I add.


    ¡°Then why did she cough up blood?¡± Sir Crile¡¯s voice is ice cold.


    ¡°Commander, did you, perhaps, try to shift?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She sits up, as soon as the Vines retract. ¡°You said no full body shifting. Or sparring. I simply tried shifting my arm into a paw just as a joke when I said it.¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Miss Laira pressures me.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet¡­ Do you feel weak at all?¡± I look at Lady Breeze.


    ¡°No. I feel fine.¡± She shakes her head.


    ¡°How¡¯s your mana level?¡± I ask again.


    ¡°Normal. I feel like it¡¯s back at full strength.¡± She answers calmly.


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s because it¡¯s less than before¡­¡± I whisper.


    ¡°Meaning what?¡± Sir Crile switches places with Miss Laira, as she sits down on the other couch and the Sir takes his place next to Lady Deathbreeze, putting his arm around her.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking what if, because of the severe injuries, that the Lady¡¯s body endured, the mana level has decreased. It¡¯s not that she is low on mana, but rather¡­¡±


    ¡°Rather her capacity decreased¡­¡± Miss Laira catches on fast.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± I nod.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be able to recover that with Meditation?¡±


    ¡°Not if the capacity has decreased.¡± I look at the couple. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it could be that your body is not strong enough anymore to handle the usual capacity for the magic power.¡±


    ¡°So, then what? I won¡¯t be able to shift? Ever again?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I lower my gaze. ¡°It is a possibility. However.¡± I add quickly. ¡°I would not rule out the possibility that due to the injuries and the pregnancy, your mana is being re-directed to help the child¡¯s development¡­ So, for the moment, it could be, that the backlash from using magic, is only a warning sign, that you should take a break from it, for the time being¡­?¡± I want to tell them something good. I want to tell them that Commander will be fighting again in no time¡­ I want to¡­ Yet¡­ I feel I would be lying¡­


    ¡°Well. No use in pouting about it.¡± I hear Sir speak and raise my head a little. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to wait it out.¡± He gives a peck on the side of the Lady¡¯s head. She puts her head on his shoulder and nods. A sad smile with a few tears accompanies her eyes and lips.


    ¡°In any case.¡± Sir continues. ¡°Laira, while you¡¯re still here. There¡¯s something else we need to tell you.¡±


    ¡°I have a feeling I won¡¯t like it¡­¡± The Miss shakes her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The Lady looks at her sister.


    ¡°Just tell me.¡± Miss Laira smiles.


    ¡°We decided to go back to Noxanda.¡± Lady Breeze says. The Miss¡¯s face instantly turns tearful. She holds it in. The Lady continues. ¡°We decided it will be for the best. I did promise my mother I would go back after all of this is over and I am dead too... The longer I stay here the bigger the risk the truth will come out¡­ I don¡¯t want to cause any of you more trouble than I¡¯m worth¡­¡± Lady Breeze sits down next to her sister and hugs her¡­


    ¡°So, you¡¯ll even rob me of my chance to be an aunt?¡± The Miss finally speaks and tears follow¡­ ¡°I just got you back¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a terrible big sister¡­ I can¡¯t and I won¡¯t ask you to forgive me¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh please. I¡¯ll spoil the child rotten. You owe me that much¡­¡± Miss Laira tries to smile, but her lips break apart each time¡­


    ¡°Not a problem.¡± Sir Crile doesn¡¯t argue. The two women sit in a tearful, quiet embrace¡­


    ¡°When are you leaving then?¡± Miss Evergreen manages to pull away from the Lady, wiping her face off.


    ¡°We figured a trip like that will need time to prepare, so a month or so?¡± Sir answers.


    ¡°Can I come with you?¡± I raise my hand.


    ¡°To Noxanda? What for?¡± Commander looks at me surprised.


    ¡°No;¡± I shake my head; ¡°not Astri, Repperi.¡±


    ¡°The capital of Primerias?¡± Now Sir looks at me with the same surprised expression.


    I nod. ¡°I think there may be information on the Rebirth in the Great Archives.


    ¡°Oh. I didn¡¯t think of that.¡± Miss Laira finally calms down.


    ¡°Good thinking, Percy.¡± Sir pats me on the back.


    ¡°Thank you. I also will be able to look after Lady Breeze, till you reach home safely.¡±


    ¡°Great. This works out perfectly.¡± Sir Crile smiles at me.


    ¡°Are you planning on stopping at Crepitus or Snake Port on your way back?¡± Miss Laira asks.


    ¡°I¡¯d prefer not to, if at all possible. But the whole trip is about two months, so¡­¡± The lady hesitates.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask around what can be done. We can discuss the details later. I need to get going now.¡± The Miss¡¯s gets up.


    ¡°We¡¯ll make dinner tonight.¡± Sir Crile gets up too.


    ¡°I look forward to it.¡± The Ravo smiles and leaves. I stare at the front door before I realize that my body has started moving on its own. I pick up a few plates and carry them to the kitchen. Sir Crile follows along with the next round of plates. I take up my position as the dish washer. We don¡¯t speak. Lady Breeze walks in and tries to help, but the Sir sits her down instead.


    ¡°If you wanna do something, go talk to Storm.¡± I turn my head slightly and watch the Lady leave.


    ¡°Tell me the truth.¡± Sir Crile speaks to me. ¡°It is possible she won¡¯t ever use magic again.¡± I hear the sad concern in his voice. I bite my tongue¡­


    ¡°Percival.¡± He urges me.


    ¡°Yes. Worst case ¨C she will only have enough mana to keep her life force going¡­ Mana cannot be restored to a body that is too weak to withstand the power¡­¡±


    ¡°Any way to fix that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ With her. I can¡¯t know for sure. Perhaps her mana will go back to normal on its own as soon as her body will be strong enough again¡­ Perhaps not¡­ I need to look into this more closely¡­ I only know for a fact that when a caster exerts their mana, all in one go, they turn to dust. It is not as uncommon as most realize¡­ The fact that she has recovered nicely, despite her injuries and the comatose state we had to put her in¡­ There is hope she would one day regain her power¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Percival, we ask too much of you.¡±


    ¡°What? No. Not at all! I¡¯m happy I am able to help and be useful¡­¡± I feel my face get warm. ¡°My life has meaning now. I¡¯m truly grateful that you let me join your team.¡±


    ¡°Well, as long as your happy, we¡¯ll be happy too. Just don¡¯t forget to look after yourself. Your skills and knowledge are quite above average. It¡¯s not that we expect great things of you. We simply know that you are destined for that. It¡¯s a simple matter of fact that you are capable of creating that greatness even in tiny things. Like these, for one.¡± Sir Crile holds up one of the straws I had asked the local blacksmiths to make for Lady Breeze¡­ I feel the blush intensify¡­


    ¡°Take care of yourself, so that you will have a long, healthy and a happy life. That¡¯s all we wish for you.¡± Sir finishes wiping down the last cup and looks at me. I feel like a little girl.


    ¡°Thank you, Sir, that means a lot to me¡­¡± I feel my voice break up. He puts his hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok to feel emotional. You¡¯re a person first and a man second.¡± His voice is low and calm. ¡°I¡¯m saying this because I lived longer. I¡¯m saying this because it took me a lifetime to figure that out. Girl or boy. We all feel the same way.¡± I feel a light squeeze on my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a moment.¡± He lets go and walks out. I stand there holding back the sobs. I wonder if this is what a parent¡¯s affection feels like¡­ I pull myself together and walk out to the front yard. Meteor, Sky and Storm are snuggling up with Lady Breeze and Sir Crile. I watch the five of them. The dragons are a rare sight to behold. They are regarded as the highest badge of honor one can possess. There are only one of two ways to get a dragon. Raise it yourself. That includes taming a wild one. Or ¨C receive it as a gift from the King of the Concord. The three dragons that are in the Noxian family possession are truly, nothing short of majestic.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    The black dragon, with the red markings that follow along the curves of the wings, spine, the jaws and the claws, highlighting the creature¡¯s features, is Meteor. The pair of red eyes, give the dragon almost a murderous look¡­ When the dragon lights up its wings, he does look like a meteor, flying through the sky. However, as I have noticed. He doesn¡¯t technically set his wings on fire. It¡¯s a bit more complicated than that. Meteor makes the scales on the wings vibrate at a high speed and that generates the heat and the light. The faster the scales move, the more heat is produced. As a result ¨C the brighter the wings shine as well. It is quite easy to get confused. It is known that each dragon has one special ability. The abilities vary dragon to dragon. The only thing, that is clear, is the inheritance of the abilities.


    Next to Meteor is Storm. A snow-white dragon with black, writhing markings running through her body, as if touched by lightning. Her special ability is to make her scales on the wings detach and shoot out. Making it rain tiny daggers. The scales are hard enough to get cut when launched, but at the same time they are weaker than the scales on the rest of Storm¡¯s body. The wings are the only part of the dragon, where the scales grow back. It¡¯s almost as if the entire wing is made up of nothing, but scales that never stop growing and the skin there is only meant to keep those other scales hidden, until the old ones need replacing. Storm has a pair of night black eyes, having them watch you, feels like staring into a bottomless pit¡­


    Next to her is Sky. Miss Laira¡¯s and Sir Marcus¡¯s dragon. A sky-blue colored dragon, with patches of grey and white, like clouds, covering his body here and there¡­ Even his eyes are different colors. Blue for the left and grey for the right. His special ability is to make the scales on his wings harden, making it almost impossible to damage them. It helps that the wing size is enough to cover half of the dragon from head to stomach or stomach to the tip of the tail. If the dragon coils up ¨C the wings are enough to protect the entire body.


    There is one more trait that all of the dragons¡¯ share. Fire Breath. Dragons by nature are coldblooded, as they resemble overgrown lizards. The Fire Breath allows for the dragons to survive in cold climate. Nobody truly knows how The Fire Breath really works. It could be that the dragons are simply able to use mana purely on instinct. By gathering the body heat and infusing it with mana, while increasing the power of it and then releasing it from within the body in a roaring fiery blaze¡­ Some even speculate that dragons simply have an internal fire source, kind of like a camp fire, always blazing inside of them, allowing the fire breath to happen. The theories never stop. One is clear. Our world is quite magical¡­ It would be a shame to let it get destroyed¡­


    ¡°Percy! Come here!¡± The Lady waves at me. I snap out of my thoughts and approach the five of them carefully.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be shy. It¡¯s ok.¡± The Lady urges me. I come closer to her. ¡°Put your hands like so.¡± She stretches out her hands in a crescent moon look. I hesitate and then to the same.


    ¡°Storm, say hi to your new master.¡± The Lady pets the dragon and then points at me. Storm glares at me and rams her head into my chest. I stager a moment and realize my arms are hugging her giant head perfectly. I feel the dragon gently rubbing against me. A low, deep growl reaches me. I stand in awe.


    ¡°Come again?¡± I finally manage to find my voice again. Sir Crile laughs loudly.


    ¡°Told you he¡¯ll need some time to process this.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine.¡± Commander approaches us from the side. ¡°I decided that you will be a good fit for Storm.¡± She strokes the dragon. I feel my palm getting picked up and moved around the rough scales. Oh, right. I gently pat the dragon.


    ¡°Unfortunately, we can¡¯t take the dragons with us¡­ Transporting them would mean having a ship for each one. Dragons can¡¯t fly that far, despite their size and strength they are weak on stamina¡­ That¡¯s why most dragons reside here, on Existara. Only the dragon eggs can be transported.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate¡­¡± I feel the tension ease up from my body as I pet Strom. ¡°But wait, why me? Why Storm?¡±


    ¡°You know that dragons are loyal creatures.¡± Commander steps aside again. ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave Storm all alone again¡­ Sky has chosen Laira as his new master. Which is not that surprising. Laira¡¯s gentle nature reminds Sky of his late master¡­ Sky has always been a bit of a cautious type. Handling him isn¡¯t easy¡­ Storm is more chill in that sense. I figured, you two would be a good fit for each other. She simply needs someone to look after her and show her affection. I figured this way, you¡¯ll get an opportunity to take a break from work too, since you¡¯ll have her to take care of.¡±


    ¡°Lady, I am honored, truly, but¡­ I don¡¯t think I can accept such a¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t. Even.¡± She glares at me. ¡°You have proven yourself to be worthy of our trust. If Storm wasn¡¯t of the same opinion, she would have sent you flying with a whip of her tail.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t sir Marcus be a better fit?¡± I ask doubting¡­


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. Meteor here will be his dragon.¡± Sir Crile answers me as he sits there with his back against the dragon and Meteor¡¯s head in his lap. ¡°We don¡¯t know what others will choose to do, but since you will be running the RRD, together with Marcus and Laira, you¡¯ll be close by, so, you make the good choice to keep up appearances. A dragon needs a master. You don¡¯t have to be by their side 24/7, but it does mean a lot for the dragon to have a favorite person.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± The Lady agrees. ¡°So, there you go. Congratulations, as of this moment you have become Percival Skyrider. Keeper of Storm Skyrider.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so¡­ WAIT! SKYRIDER? ME!¡±


    Sir Crile laughs again. ¡°Love his reaction.¡± He says giggling. I continue staring at Commander.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a last name, do you?¡± Lady asks me. I shake my head. ¡°How would you feel to have mine? A Champion of the Concord is only a tittle. We believe your name will go down in History for many great things¡­ Percival, I believe you will inspire many people to strive for greatness. I also believe that a promising man, such as yourself, needs a suitable name. Deathbreeze Skyrider is only an alias to me. To the people of the Royal City here it has a lot of meanings. Some respect it. Some fear it. Some despise it. Dragons are required by law to have their names registered with the Palace. Storm¡¯s full name is Storm Skyrider.¡±


    ¡°Same goes for Meteor Shadowkill and Sky Starlight. The thing is. Once a dragon changes its master, it is required by the law, to change the dragon¡¯s name in the registry as well. That is why dragon breeders are not allowed to name the dragons. The breeders usually just call the dragons by colorful nicknames instead. It is the naming of the dragon that creates that bond. As a dragon gets named by their master, a blood seal is made on the dragon¡¯s chest. Binding them to their master. That is also what adds to the dragon¡¯s loyalty. But the seal is nothing more than a way to identify the dragon. It does not force the dragon to obey you. Meteor will probably become Meteor Tallen. Same last name as Marcus¡¯s. Sky will be named Evergreen too. That is only because both Marcus and Laira have their own last names.¡± The Sir explains it to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m only suggesting you take Storm¡¯s last name, should you wish. By any means I am not forcing you to take it. Take your time to think about it.¡±


    ¡°I accept.¡± I cut the Lady off mid-sentence. I back away from the dragon and bow. ¡°Thank you. I accept the name Skyrider. I shall take good care of Strom." I feel a hand land on my back. I straighten up.


    ¡°Thank you." Lady¡¯s eyes sparkle with tears. "I¡¯m happy I can leave Storm with you. I won¡¯t have to worry about her now¡­¡± Her voice dies down as she covers her face. Storm nudges her master. Lady smiles and hugs her dragon.


    ¡°Perfect. That will give us enough time to oversee your bonding experience too. We¡¯ll make sure you guys get along before we leave for Noxanda.¡± Sir Crile stands up.


    ¡°Oh wait, I might be gone for some time, won¡¯t that¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Once you bond with her all will be ok. As long as the master is alive ¨C the seal stays intact. It lets the dragon know that their master is fine. When Laira and Marcus get back, we¡¯ll perform the ritual then.¡± Sir Crile explains it to me again. ¡°You can give her a new name too, you know.¡± He adds.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine being Storm.¡± I pet her.


    ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t worry about feeding her. Dragons have a pretty slow metabolism, considering their size, so they stay fed for up to a week. They usually hunt their own food too.¡± The Lady breaks it down for me.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to know, I was about to ask you about it.¡±


    ¡°Go on. Take her for a ride.¡± Lady Breeze encourages me. Storm coils up next to the Lady. I don¡¯t say anything and carefully climb on her back.


    ¡°Now, it may be a bit difficult to hang on to her without the saddle, but don¡¯t worry. This will only help you two to bond. Trust her. She won¡¯t let you fall.¡± The Lady tells me, petting her dragon. ¡°Tell her ¡°fly¡± and she¡¯ll take you anywhere. When you¡¯re ready to get back, just tell her ¡°home.¡±


    ¡°Storm, fly.¡± I say and hear the dragon rumble under me. She stretches her wings, lets out a roar and with a single beat of her wings ¨C we take off into the blue sky. Last time we flew I was too busy keeping watch over Commander¡¯s condition. I didn¡¯t really pay much attention to the flight itself. Now. The feeling is nothing short of exhilarating. I look down and witness Araneum in all of its beauty from above. The array of islands and bridges, resembling a spiderweb on the surface of the giant lake make the city appear to be levitating midair. Especially with the clouds reflecting on the calm water¡­


    ¡°Look who¡¯s back early.¡± I welcome Marcus and Laira.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice not having to go on missions anymore, but I gotta say, the bureaucracy of the Palace life can be more challenging and exhausting¡­¡± Marcus shakes his head getting of his mount.


    ¡°We try to get out of there early as much as possible.¡± Laira seconds her partner.


    ¡°Well, at least while you guys are still here and the RRD isn¡¯t in full swing.¡± Marcus takes his black horse and Laira¡¯s bay Celodian into the stables. ¡°Where¡¯s our youngest?¡± He asks.


    ¡°Bonding with Storm right now.¡± Breeze answers.


    ¡°Already?¡± Laira asks.


    ¡°Yup;¡± I nod; ¡°seems like the perfect time to break it to the kid too.¡± I gesture to the Mage. Before anyone can say anything again, a dragon¡¯s shriek reaches us.


    ¡°Perfect timing!¡± Breeze greets Percival. ¡°How was it?¡±


    ¡°Amazing.¡± The boy pets the dragon.


    ¡°I can tell.¡± Breeze laughs, ruffling up the Cleansers already ruffed up locks.


    ¡°Do you have it?¡± I ask Laira.


    ¡°Right here.¡± She gives me three scrolls.


    ¡°Perfect. Thank you. Breeze! We''re good to go!¡± I wave the scrolls to her.


    ¡°Great!¡±


    ¡°Good to go for what? Marcus comes back to us.


    ¡°Congratulations. As of today, you are Meteor¡¯s master.¡± I tell the boy, as I put my arm around his shoulders, pointing to my dragon.


    ¡°Who¡¯s what now?¡± He studders.


    ¡°I mean, if you want him. This is not an order.¡± I tell him.


    ¡°Laira?¡± Marcus turns to his girl for moral support.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need to give Meteor your last name. You need one of those to seal the contract.¡± The Ravo points to the scrolls in my other hand.


    ¡°Percival has already agreed to take Storm, it would mean a lot to me if you would take care of Meteor for me?¡± I ask the boy. ¡°You can say no too.¡±


    ¡°Why me?¡± Marcus looks at me.


    ¡°Why not? You¡¯re a great guy. I think you two would get along nicely.¡± I wave to Meteor to come closer. ¡°He matches your horse too.¡± I make a stupid joke.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± The Mage doubts.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be asking you if I wasn¡¯t.¡± I pat him on the back.


    ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll be sure to take care of Meteor.¡± Marcus finally nods.


    ¡°Excellent!¡± Breeze takes out a knife. ¡°Hold out your hand for me.¡± The Cleanser hesitates, but does as asked. She slices gently across his palm. ¡°Place this on Storms chest and repeat after me.¡± The boy does as told. ¡°Storm, I, Percival Skyrider, am now your master. Serve me well.¡±


    ¡°Storm, I, Percival Skyrider, am now your master. Serve me well.¡± The Cleanser says and Storm roars. The blood on her chest glows for a moment, coils itself up into two letters: PS and disappears between the scales. Storm shakes her head a little and puts it back down into Percival¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Is that it?¡± Marcus asks.


    ¡°Yup.¡± Breeze answer. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I kinda figured there¡¯d be more to the transfer ritual, like the ground glowing, lighting striking, I don¡¯t know? Something?¡± He wiggles his fingers in an attempt to imitate magic.


    ¡°Nope, there¡¯s all there is to it.¡± I say.


    ¡°Press your palm down here.¡± Breeze takes the print from the Cleanser, striking out the previous owner¡¯s name and scribbling the new one into the contract.


    ¡°Don¡¯t we get a blank contract?¡± Percy asks sealing up his cut.


    ¡°Not till there¡¯s room on the scroll, once it¡¯s full ¨C then the Handlers will issue a new one.¡± Laira explains.


    ¡°See. That¡¯s my print right there.¡± Breeze unrolls the scroll.


    ¡°Your turn.¡± I give my dagger to the Mage. ¡°You can give him a new name if you want.¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯ll stick to Meteor.¡± He cuts his palm and places on my dragon¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Meteor, I, Marcus Tallen, am now your master and you are Meteor Tallen. Serve me well.¡± The dragon roars. Same thing happens as with Storm: the blood on his chest glows for a moment, coils itself up into two letters: MT and disappears between the scales. I hold the scroll out for the kid. He places his palm on it and I rewrite the owner¡¯s name.


    ¡°Good boy.¡± I pat Meteor. ¡°Be nice.¡± I tell him and he growls for me. I¡¯ll miss him¡­


    ¡°Right then. My turn.¡± Laira takes the same knife from Marcus, wipes the blood off and slashes her own palm. Places it on Sky¡¯s chest and recites the vow.


    ¡°Sky, I, Laira Evergreen, am now your master and you are Sky Evergreen. Serve me well.¡± The dragon roars. The blood glows and rearranges itself into two letters: LT, disappearing between the scales. Just as before. Breeze takes Laira¡¯s print and changes the name on the contract.


    ¡°Well, that was over quick.¡± Marcus shakes his healed hand.


    ¡°Disappointed?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Kind of.¡± He smiles.


    ¡°Dragons get their names changed quite often, so if the ritual was any longer than that, not many would bother with it.¡± Laira explains.


    ¡°Yeah, I know. But still.¡± The Mage persists.


    ¡°I kind figured it was rare for the dragon to change their master so often¡­¡± Percy helps Laira seal up the gash.


    ¡°Dragons are too loyal for their own good, so, if they don¡¯t get transferred to a new owner, they kill themselves when the owner dies. A dragon master has the obligation to leave a Transfer Note, clearly indicating to whom the dragon is being handed over to after they die... Sadly some masters die before they sign it... It''s usually the next of kin who inherits the dragon anyway. Allowing to uphold the family honor and such. Of course, should the person who inheritate the dragon does something that brings shame upon the family name then the King seizes the dragon, thus breaking the contract. The seal is then removed and the dragon is, but on hold to give to someone else. It has happened before. However, because having a dragon is regarded as the highest honor possible, people tend to watch themselves, making sure the beast stays within the family. Think of them as a family heirloom. A household''s influence is sometimes measured by how many generations managed to maintain their dragon in good health. It is rare that one family would have more than one dragon, but if you manage to get one, it''s usual to think that you have been acknowledged by the King. " Breeze explains.


    "Even taming wild ones is not as easy, so it doesn''t happen as often." I add.


    ¡°I see.¡± Percival pets Storm. "I had no idea it was that complicated."


    "No worries, you''ll learn that the Royal City tends to gloss over certain things..." I tell the boy. ¡°We should start the dinner if we want to have it done before the rest of the gang gets back.¡± I suggest handing the scrolls back to Laira.


    ¡°Oh sure, you guys get a night off.¡± Breeze agrees.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but do you even know how to cook?¡± Marcus stares at Breeze.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be handling most of it, she¡¯s my lovely chopping assistant only.¡± I mock her.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good to hear.¡± The boy lets out a sigh of relief. Breeze glares at the Mage. He turns away from her.


    ¡°And when did you become a master chef?¡± Breeze mocks me back.


    ¡°I had plenty of time when doing nothing here at the Palace.¡± I wink at her.


    ¡°Uh-huh, riiiiiight¡­¡± Breeze rolls her eyes at me. I smile at her and a quiet giggle rolls us over¡­


    A loud slam wakes us up. ¡°OH NO YOU DON''T!¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡± Laira asks me.


    ¡°Sounds like a fight?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Percival.


    ¡°Are they fighting?¡± Jack. Laira and I look at each other, we quickly pull some clothes on, well, whatever we can find laying around on the floor here by the bed and step out in the hallway. The rest of the crew is already out here too¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t care! I WILL dice you up into chunks and seal you up in glass jars IF THAT¡¯S WHAT IT TAKES TO KEEP YOU HERE!¡± Crile¡­ ¡°You¡¯re not walking out on me again!!¡±


    ¡°What was I supposed to do then! HUH!! TELL ME!!¡± Breeze¡­


    ¡°I DON¡¯T KNOW!! Could have said something! ¡°Yes, no, go to Hell!¡± Anything would have been better than the deafening silence!! Damn it Breeze why didn¡¯t you say anything!! I SPENT FIFTY DAMN YEARS TALKING TO MYSELF LIKE A MORON!!!¡±


    ¡°It sounds bad¡­¡± Percy¡¯s worried.


    ¡°Leave them be.¡± Culebra answers.


    ¡°I DON¡¯T KNOW!! I¡¯M AN IDIOT! ALRIGHT!! THERE I SAID IT!! HAPPY!!¡± Breeze yells out¡­


    ¡°THE HELL I AM!! I ALMOST WENT INSANE BECAUSE OF YOU!!¡±


    ¡°OH LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE SEEING YOUR MAN FUCK SOMEONE WHO IS NOT YOU!!¡±


    ¡°NO! NO I DON¡¯T KNOW WHAT THAT FEELS LIKE!! THAT STILL DOESN¡¯T EXPLAIN WHY YOU NEVER REACHED OUT OR CAME BACK!!¡± Crile¡¯s voice is full of rage¡­


    ¡°BECAUSE!!¡± Breeze screams¡­


    ¡°BECAUSE WHAT!¡±


    ¡°BECAUSE EVERYTIME I CLOSED MY EYES I SAW YOU UNDER HER!!! IT MADE MY INSIDES TURN AND I¡¯D THROW UP!! I¡¯D KEEP THROWING UP TILL BLOOD SPILLED OUT!!¡± Muffled cries come from the couples¡¯ bedroom. Nobody says anything.


    "Watching your commrades die is one thing!! Being forced to kill them is completely different !!" Silence...


    "I don''t even know what could possibly be worse than that!! Slaughtering your whole family maybe!! Who''s to tell me that my brothers and sisters in arms ain''t my family!! That I killed!!" Another cry screams out...


    ¡°Every damn morning, I would wake up praying NONE IF IT EVER HAPPENED!!! You!! Star!!! The Battle!!! My life became a never ending nightmare!!! I''d walk myself ragged till I would pass out so I could sleep!! As if it ever helped!! I''d just wake up screaming over and over again!!! The stench of burning flesh haunts me to this day!! The screams!! Of the same people I so valiantly swore to protect!! How was I to recover from that!! HOW!!" We hear loud gasps cutting in...


    ¡°You sure it¡¯s a good idea to leave them like this?¡± Rixa asks.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Laira answers. ¡°There¡¯s only two ways to deal with unresolved issues. Talk them through or ignore them¡­¡±


    ¡°They already tried the latter option¡­¡± I add quietly¡­


    ¡°I¡¯M A COWARD!! I wasn¡¯t strong enough to face you!! My mother!! OR Star¡¯s parents!! The best I could come up was to run away!! AGAIN!!¡± The cries intensify...


    ¡°I tried to kill myself so many times I lost track!! I try to drown myself and Emerald drags me back to shore!! I jump of a cliff and she tackles me, softening the impact!! I pull a dagger out and she tears into my arm!! If it weren¡¯t for Emerald, I would have¡­ AND NOW SHE¡¯S GONE!!¡± Another wave of cries¡­ Laira crashes to her knees¡­ Weeping softly¡­


    ¡°What was I supposed to do? Go back home? How? HOW was I ever supposed to stand before my people when all I ever wanted was to get away from there!! How could I ever face old man Bell after I¡­¡± More muffled crying¡­


    ¡°Who is old man Bell?¡± Percival asks in a whisper.


    ¡°The previous King of the Concord. Bellkehm of Cobalus. He was the twin brother of the King of Ballista, at the time.¡± I explain.


    ¡°THE ONLY THING I REGERET IS NOT PULLING THAT SLUT OFF YOU AND TEARING HER THROAT OUT RIGHT THERE AND THEN!!!¡±


    ¡°WHY DIDN¡¯T YOU!!!¡± Crile roars¡­


    ¡°BECAUSE I FROZE!! I DIDN¡¯T¡­ I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes so I got the Hell out of there!!!¡± Another pause¡­


    ¡°TIME DOESN¡¯T HEAL SHIT!!! IT ONLY GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO WALLOW IN YOUR MISERY!!¡± Another hysteria reaches us, along with a lower, muffled voice¡­ Crile¡­


    ¡°THEN WHY WAIT FOR ME!! THE ENTIRE NOXANDA IS FULL OF MES!!!¡± Breeze¡­


    ¡°WRONG!! NONE OF THEM ARE YOU!! THERE CAN NEVER BE ANOTHER YOU!!¡±


    ¡°WHY!¡± Breeze¡­


    ¡°WHY WHAT!!¡± Crile¡­


    ¡°WHY LOVE ME!!¡± Another scream. ¡°Nobody HAS TO LOVE ME!! Nor you, nor Laira!! NO ONE! Nobody ever should listen to me!! If it weren¡¯t for me Tonso and Burla would be alive now too!! All of the fighters too¡­ Nobody EVER SHOULD EVEN LIKE A PERSON LIKE ME!! Starlight was right! I AM DESPICABLE!! There¡¯s absolutely no reason why I should ever be in charge of anyone! The only thing I ever do is lead people to their deaths! HA!" A hysterical cackle comes from the other side of the wooden door, sending blood freezing chills across the body...


    "The name Deathbreeze never seemed more fitting¡­" More of that cackle reaches us with a loud gasp of air...


    "Nothing I ever did in my life was the right thing!! Not a single decision!! I WASTED FIFTY DAMN YEARS WONDERING AROUND LIKE A MORON!!! RUNNING AWAY FROM ALL THAT I WAS!!¡± Breeze screams out¡­ Alright, that does it! I burst open the door. Breeze is curled up in a ball, on her knees, crying, with her face covered. Crile is on his knees, with no shirt on either, right in front of her.


    ¡°Some of us don¡¯t need a reason to be nice!¡± I yell at Breeze. She raises her eyes at me. ¡°What? You can run into the bowels of Hell without batting an eye, but can¡¯t handle it when people are nice to you for no other reason than ¡°just cause¡±? Well too bad! Get used to it! Not all of us are rotten here you know! And neither are you! Quit making yourself the bad guy here cause you¡¯re not! Those people would have died anyways! If you weren''t the Chieftain, someone else would have led them and they would have died still! Quit blaming yourself for everything! You''re no God! You''re not responsible for everything! And you know something else? You sure as Hell didn¡¯t have to save my sorry ass back then yet you did!¡± I point to the crisscross pattern on my side.


    ¡°Yeah! Remember?¡± I continue. ¡°You could have left me there to die. Hell! You could have easily run a dagger through my chest and put me out of my misery! But NO! You didn¡¯t! You sat there! For hours! Sewing me back together! Why! Don¡¯t answer! I¡¯ll tell you! Because you¡¯re human! Because you¡¯re a kind and caring person! If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t be here right now! So quit your whining and get to bed! Idiot!!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Marcus.¡± Crile smiles at me. ¡°Well said.¡±


    ¡°Anytime!¡± I answer panting. That took a bit of breath out of me¡­ Percival slips past me and kneels down next to Breeze, with a cup in hand.


    ¡°Anxiety isn¡¯t good for the child¡­¡± Our Cleanser says calmly. Breeze immediately takes the cup from the kid and gulps it down¡­


    ¡°Zarri¡­¡± Crile crawls over to his woman. ¡°I don¡¯t love you for any of the reasons you just said¡­¡± More like shouted¡­ ¡°I love you, because I¡¯m an idiot too. How about we be stupid together?¡± He presses his forehead to hers¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t weee get anything out of this?¡± Rixa sticks his head in the doorway. ¡°Ya kinda woke us up here, ya know¡­¡± Breeze stands up, adjusting her robe and walks out into the hall. I step back and give her some room. She kneels down, bowing all the way to the floor.


    ¡°My deepest apologies for disturbing you all¡­ Please try to forget anything happened¡­¡± Breeze keeps her head to the floor as she speaks.


    ¡°Too late.¡± Jack answers.


    ¡°Next time ¨C do it outside.¡± The Mancer hisses and slams her door shut.


    ¡°Can I get a kiss goodnight, to help me sleep better?¡± Rixa crouches down next to Breeze.


    ¡°Sure, my foot will be more than happy to oblige.¡± The Assassin stick his toes underneath the CC¡¯s nose. The Warr backs away.


    ¡°When are you going to get it through your head? She¡¯s not for you.¡± Jack tells Rixa off.


    ¡°She could be though.¡± He answers.


    ¡°Goodnight, Rixa.¡± Laira nods to him.


    ¡°Night.¡± Jack closes the door, before the Warrior can say anything more.


    ¡°Is there any more of that calming tea?¡± I ask Percival. He looks at me confused. ¡°I think I need some too.¡±


    ¡°I can make you some, if you want?¡± He says carefully.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine.¡± Laira takes my hand. ¡°Goodnight.¡± She says and walks me back to our room.


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± I mumble.


    ¡°For what?¡± She asks sitting down next to me on our bed.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t bear to listen anymore¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s for the best¡­ She needed to hear this from someone who isn¡¯t me or Crile¡­ Like the last time¡­ What was it that you said? ¡°If you want to yell at someone, then I¡¯ll happily hand you a mirror, scream away. Now apologize.¡±? Laira looks at me and I feel myself blush¡­


    ¡°Yeah well¡­ I got mad that time too. I mean she¡¯s a good person, but she can be so damn stupid it really pisses me off¡­ How can someone that intelligent be that moronic at the same time?¡± I hear Laira laugh.


    ¡°It happens, I guess?¡±


    ¡°I guess¡­¡± I look at her. Even with bed hair, she¡¯s stunning still¡­ I put my hand on her neck and pull her in for a kiss¡­ She responds, sliding herself over to me. I roll on top of her¡­

 6. Preparations

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± Culebra announces.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not getting any younger. I don¡¯t have that kind of a time to be wasting, waiting for you to regain your powers.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Breeze pauses. ¡°Is there anything else I can do for you in exchange?¡±


    ¡°Die.¡± The Mancer hisses. I take up a stance. ¡°Relax.¡± She tells me. ¡°My beef is with her, not you.¡±


    ¡°Wrong. Her problems are mine to deal with.¡± I stare at the woman. I feel a touch on my arm. I ease up.


    ¡°Yes, I do understand that would be the perfect gift for you. However. I have something to look forward to now.¡± Breeze stands up with the other hand on her belly. ¡°I don¡¯t intend on dying anytime soon. So, I¡¯ll ask again. Is there anything else I can do for you in exchange?¡±


    The Mancer thinks about it. ¡°Provisions.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem. Take whatever you need. There are extra bags in the closet.¡± Breeze says. I keep my glare locked on the caster.


    ¡°Anything else?¡± I ask.


    ¡°No.¡± Culebra leaves the kitchen. Marcus and Laira walk in.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± Marcus asks.


    ¡°It appears Culebra will be leaving us.¡± Breeze answers sitting back down to finish her tea.


    ¡°We got that much...¡± Laira sits down too. ¡°Is it because of what happened last night?¡±


    ¡°Possibly.¡± Breeze nods. ¡°Then again. If I can¡¯t fight her then there is no reason for her to stick around anymore. If anything, I can always go seek her out in the Nightmare Island, where she lives, to finish our duel, after the child is born.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you think that.¡± I take her hand.


    ¡°Oh well. Can¡¯t be helped.¡± Marcus breaks the left-over tension.


    ¡°Good morning, everyone.¡± Enter Percival.


    ¡°Good morning, how are you feeling?¡± Laira asks the boy.


    ¡°Much better, thank you. It was nice to take a break. I believe I¡¯ll get back to work today.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Breeze questions the Cleanser.


    ¡°I think so. There are a few things on my mind, I couldn¡¯t rest anyways.¡± He answers avoiding eye contact.


    ¡°I guess there¡¯s no helping your curious mind.¡± Breeze sighs.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Percy blushes and lowers his gaze again. ¡°By the way, miss. Have you had a chance to speak with the King about the RRD yet?¡±


    ¡°No. I was going to do so after we arrange everything for the trip first.¡± Laira answers without turning around.


    ¡°If it would be possible, I¡¯d like for us to get permission for the RRD before we leave for Noxanda.¡± Percival says.


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± Marcus asks.


    ¡°Because that way we could ask Repperi to provide us with a team to help navigate the Great Archives. From what I know, the Archives are like a giant maze. Several stories high with miles of book shelves, full of scrolls and such, so the locals would know their way around better than anyone from Araneum.¡± The boy explains. ¡°Also, I figured that way there would be less of a risk for the happy couple, as we wouldn¡¯t be taking anyone from here. I mean, we are trying to keep Lady Breeze a secret...¡±


    ¡°The happy couple?¡± I look at the kid.


    ¡°Did I say that out loud?¡± Percival pops his eyes out at me. Marcus roars first. Then Breeze, with Laira and myself right behind her.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m happy you have a sense of humor.¡± I tell the boy, ruffing up his bed hair even more.


    ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m surprised you thought that far ahead.¡± Breeze praises the boy.


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t even know THE HALF of it.¡± Laira turns around for the first time since Percy got here.


    ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ve been at the Archives before?¡± Marcus asks the kid setting down some plates.


    ¡°No, my friend Cartus at the Palace library told me that.¡± Why does that name sound familiar? ¡°Apparently, not just anyone can work at the Archives. Memorizing the layout is difficult enough, on top of that you need to familiarize yourself with the filing system too. Which isn¡¯t any less of a challenge. Primerians have a knack for hording, especially when it comes to information and because we tend to get side tracked, we are terrible at combing through the knowledge, keeping only the most useful items. So, the Archives only keep expanding. What¡¯s worse is that every so often the books and the scrolls need re-writing as the ink tends to fade with time. Making it the busiest part of Repperi. It reminds me of an anthill. The work never stops. That¡¯s why I figured that asking for help directly would make it easier to coordinate the whole thing, but for that we would need the King¡¯s blessing first. I mean, Rebirth is all of our problem, not just Araneum¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°Good point. I like that.¡± I agree with the kid.


    ¡°Very well.¡± Laira sets the last plates. ¡°I shall ask for an audience with the King first thing today.¡±


    ¡°Smells good.¡± Rixa enters the kitchen through the back door. The Ram is right behind him.


    ¡°Oh, there you two are. I figured you weren¡¯t even up yet.¡± Laira sits down.


    ¡°Nah, we were out training a bit.¡± Rixa quickly washes his hands over the dirty dishes.


    ¡°What¡¯s today¡¯s topic?¡± Jack asks. Following the CC¡¯s lead.


    ¡°Our trip to Noxanda.¡± Percy beats me to it.


    ¡°When are you leaving?¡± The Ram asks again.


    ¡°No clue, that depends how quickly the preparations can be done.¡± Breeze answers.


    ¡°Let me know once you figure it out.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± I look at the Ram.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come with.¡± He says in his usual calm tone.


    ¡°Any particular reason?¡± I ask.


    ¡°No. Just wanna go home. I think I had enough of here.¡±


    ¡°Aw, you¡¯re leaving me?¡± Rixa pouts.


    ¡°Shut it.¡± The Ram doesn¡¯t even bother looking at the Warr.


    ¡°Somehow, I¡¯m not surprised you two are leaving.¡± Marcus joins in.


    ¡°Two?¡± Rixa glances over at the Mage.


    ¡°Culebra¡¯s packing her bags right now.¡± I explain.


    ¡°Good riddance.¡± The CC lets out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Hey.¡± Breeze sets her bite down. ¡°Despite her attitude, she did agree to put her life on the line.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but still.¡± The Warr averts his gaze elsewhere, mumbling something behind his glass.


    ¡°In any case, we¡¯ll try to see what can be done about the RRD and a ship.¡± Laira changes the tune again quickly.


    ¡°Try talking to Glen, he mentioned he worked at the docks most of his time.¡± Breeze says. ¡°Oh wait, I...¡±


    ¡°He made it.¡± Laira jumps ahead. ¡°He¡¯s been checking in once in a while.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± Breeze smiles.


    ¡°Thank you for the meal, that was delicious as always.¡± Percival¡¯s the first to clear his plate. ¡°Can I quickly use the bathroom? If nobody else will?¡±


    ¡°Go for it. I¡¯m in no rush.¡± Jack waves to the boy.


    ¡°Same here.¡± Rixa seconds.


    ¡°Take your time.¡± Marcus agrees.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± The Cleanser nods and leaves the kitchen.


    To my surprise the King agreed to see us on the same day.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably because you mentioned the Rebirth.¡± I whisper to Laira as the three of us stand there.


    ¡°I figured he¡¯d be paying more attention that way.¡± She answers.


    ¡°I¡¯m about to pass out.¡± Percival¡¯s looking like a ghost.


    ¡°Breath. You¡¯ll be fine.¡± I tell him.


    ¡°Miss Evergreen, I hear you wish to speak with me?¡± The King enters, staring us down.


    ¡°Yes, your Majesty, we wish to speak to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± He waves at us, sitting down in the throne.


    ¡°We ask you to sanction a Rebirth Research Division. We believe that there¡¯s much to be done in regards to the Castle of Despair, which perhaps, our predecessors have overlooked. Having established such a division would aid greatly in eradicating the Rebirth.¡± Laira goes straight to the point.


    ¡°How so?¡± The King is unfazed.


    ¡°Over the years we have gathered more than enough information about the Rebirth, yet we fail to find the means to stop it still. We believe that is because we failed to dig deeper into this. Perhaps there is something that we missed, of which we are not even aware.¡± Laira keeps her tone strong and calm.


    ¡°Like what for instance?¡± The King gives us a suspicious look.


    ¡°Like the fact that we are able to influence a part of the Castle." Percival steps forward holding a vial with the dark liquid inside of it.


    ¡°What am I looking at here?¡± The King steps down his throne.


    ¡°This is a sample I have brought back with us from the battle. I have been able to determine that part of this foul liquid is poison which I am able to control in the same manner as a Temeros would.¡±


    ¡°And the significance of this is?¡± The King walks closer to us.


    ¡°I have been going through the reports from the previous battles, as much as my duties here at the Palace allow me to.¡± The kid holds his ground. ¡°So far, I have not been able to detect a single shred of evidence that anyone else has made such a discovery.¡± Nice. ¡°Which leads me to believe, there could be more vital pieces of information hidden within the vast collection of knowledge that we have. However. I am, but only one person, your Majesty.¡± Go Percival!


    ¡°And it has taken you over half a year to come up with this idea?¡± The King glares at us.


    ¡°Unfortunately, yes.¡± I step in. ¡°As much as we would like to dig deeper, our hands are tied. The Palace life is quite demanding. Because there is no official order to look into the Rebirth, we are only able to do so on our days off and with only a handful of us ¨C it has proven itself to be quite the challenge.¡± I build on the groundwork Percy laid out for us a moment ago.


    ¡°And who do you suggest will be working on this research?¡± The King¡¯s being purposely difficult.


    ¡°Anyone capable of reading and writing. The Royal City is filled with scholars who are bored out of their minds.¡± Laira answers. ¡°With an official order to research the Rebirth you would be creating job openings, I am sure, your Majesty is aware of the lack of work in the City, despite it being at its peak. That would also increase the morale of the people here even more. Especially if it helps to get rid of a major problem such as the destruction of our world.¡± Atta girl!


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°I would need to discuss this with the Congress. The budget is not for me alone to do with it as I please, after all.¡± The King says, sitting back into his throne. Yeah right...


    ¡°We understand.¡± Laira nods.


    ¡°Very well. Is there anything else?¡± The King¡¯s tone seems rather calm now.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Percival takes a step forward. ¡°Should your Highness decide in favor of our proposal I would ask for your aid in coordinating with Repperi, back in Primerias, for their assistance in the matter as well.¡±


    ¡°Elaborate.¡± The King orders.


    ¡°There is a possibility that The Great Archives hold information predating the 200 Years of Darkness, when Araneum was destroyed. It may be so that there too lies information that could aid our cause. I believe it would be in our best interest to go down there and see what we can find.¡±


    ¡°I assume you expect me to cover the costs of this expedition?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, your Majesty.¡± Percival continues calmly. ¡°Thanks to my current standing with the Royal City I have managed to save enough to cover the expenses for the trip, as I alone would be enough to go.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Aren¡¯t you confident?¡± The King leans forward in his throne. Mocking our Cleanser.


    ¡°Do not misunderstand me. There are certain rules that need to be followed when entering the Great Archives. One of which is that an official pass needs to be given out by the Officials in charge. My status alone would not be enough. However, if the King of Concord were to make such a request, I am certain that would capture their attention. Scholars have a tendency to be slow to respond...¡± I¡¯m amazed. For someone who was about to drop to the floor, Percival is standing strong. I steal a glance at Laira. Her eyes sparkle with pride.


    ¡°Also;¡± the kid continues; ¡°because of the complex system of the Archives, you would only be asking them to help me navigate. Not a single copper coin would need to be spent on man power. The Archives have people working there constantly. Working as guides is part of their responsibilities, which, to my understanding is included in their standard pay.¡± Brilliant.


    ¡°And how will you get the records out of there? Should you find anything worthwhile?¡± The King narrows his eyes. Damn it!


    ¡°As part of the Archive system, it is required to make copies of anything that one wishes to take back with them. There are Scribes working constantly there on the spot, just for that. Again, since they are always there, they too get paid for their work as it is their job, after all. PERCIVAL! YOU ARE A GENIUS!! I can barely contain my excitement.


    ¡°Of course, I should mention that there is an entrance fee. I doubt it would be much. If his Majesty would be kind to cover that, then that would be all I would ask. The seal of Concord would serve as a precaution, to prove that the request is legit, as the King is the only one allowed to wear it.¡± Percy points to the ring on the King¡¯s right hand. Wow. He¡¯s good...


    ¡°I see you have thought this through quite well.¡± The King leans back in his throne. ¡°And what does Shadowkill have to say to all of this?¡± He¡¯s testing us¡­


    ¡°No clue.¡± I answer. ¡°We haven¡¯t had contact with him since he retired months ago.¡±


    ¡°Percival is the brains behind the RRD.¡± Laira takes over. ¡°He came to me asking for help in establishing the research division.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The King mocks us lightly.


    ¡°Yes. He has proven himself to be quite intelligent, despite his young age.¡± Laira stands next to Percy.


    ¡°So, it seems...¡± The King hesitates. ¡°Very well, I shall contact you when we will reach a decision. If luck shall have it ¨C the next Congress meeting will focus on the, what was it you called it again?¡±


    ¡°The Rebirth Research Division.¡± I line up with the rest of them. ¡°RRD for short, your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes. The RRD. I shall see what can be done. Is that all then?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thank you for your time, your Majesty.¡± Laira answers. We take a knee and leave the throne room. We walk a bit further away before I jump Percival.


    ¡°That was brilliant!¡± I tell him throwing my arm around his shoulders and pulling him to me.


    ¡°I am absolutely in awe.¡± Laira says.


    ¡°I thought I was going to lose consciousness...¡± Percival staggers a bit.


    ¡°You did great! It seemed like you were doing this for years! How old are you again?¡± I grab him by the shoulders and stare him down.


    ¡°Nineteen. I joined the Army about two years ago...¡±


    ¡°You look sixteen at best!¡± Laira proclaims loudly.


    ¡°I get that a lot...¡± The boy blushes.


    ¡°What you¡¯ve been doing here for two years? People seem to barely know you?¡± I wonder.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been so low on the food chain that nobody ever paid attention to me... I guess that¡¯s why they didn¡¯t hesitate throwing me onto the ship to Crepitus that time either. Although, that turned out to be the best thing that happened to me.¡± He straightens himself out and smiles.


    ¡°Glad we met.¡± Laira hugs the boy.


    ¡°For sure.¡± I agree and put my hand on his head.


    ¡°Thank you, I¡¯m glad I get to be part of the team too.¡± He nods. ¡°By the way, since you asked, how old are the two of you, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± Percival¡¯s eyes dot around as he raises the question. I laugh.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be 32 this year.¡± I answer.


    ¡°And the miss?¡± He carefully glances over at Laira.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t bother, I¡¯m waaaay older than I look...¡±


    ¡°I meant no disrespect.¡± The kid bows.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We have that confusing trait about us. All Noxians are unreadable in the age department.¡±


    ¡°What about Jack then?¡± I ponder.


    ¡°I believe he¡¯s 29?¡± Laira answers. ¡°I treated his hand so I had to ask a bunch of medical questions.¡±


    ¡°No way! I was sure he¡¯s older. He doesn¡¯t look it.¡±


    ¡°I was surprised as well.¡± Laira nods. ¡°Are you coming with us to the docks?¡± She asks our Cleanser.


    ¡°No, I need to read up on a few things. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± He nods and leaves us.


    ¡°See you round!¡± I tell his back. Well then, should we get going to the docks?


    "Might as well. I doubt we¡¯ll get an answer any time soon."


    "Wanna stop on the way?" I slide my hand down Laira¡¯s back.


    "Is there anything else you think of? Ever?" She rolls her eyes at me with a smile.


    "Nope." I blatantly confess with a smirk.


    "Fine. But make it quick." She tells me with a glide over my crotch.


    "Yes ma¡¯am." I throw her leg on my hip, forcing a quiet giggle out of her.


    "Excuse me? Where can we find Glen?" I ask a sailor at our usual meeting spot.


    "He¡¯ll be here in a minute." The Cornutese answers me.


    "Should have taken my sweet time¡­" I pout.


    "Did you say something?" Laira comes over with snacks in hand. "Want some?" I open my mouth. She puts the octopus ball in. I pull her fingers in with my mouth and lick them clean off.


    "Delicious."


    "Did you just do that solely to tease me?" She squints at me.


    "Absolutely." I wink at her.


    "Sorry, I got caught up a bit there!!" Glen is trying his best to run over to us through the sea of people.


    "No trouble." Laira shakes her head. Maybe a little¡­


    "You wanted to speak to me?" Glen catches his breath. "Sir." He nods to me.


    "Marcus. Glen. It¡¯s Marcus." I tease him friendly.


    "Marcus, sir." The boy straightens out. I drag my palm across my face. Ugh. Nevermind¡­


    "Yes, Glen, we need to know if it is possible to get to Noxanda without stopping at Snake Port or Crepitus."


    "Of course." It simply takes longer to prepare everything. "Why? Did something happen?"


    "No, not yet. We simply need to know how long it would take to get a ship and the crew ready."


    "When do you need them?" The kid asks.


    "When¡¯s the soonest you can deliver?" I answer.


    "I would need a few weeks to see if I can get enough people for everything¡­ A trip like that, without stopping to restock¡­"


    "If the money is the issue, we¡¯ll cover the expenses." Laira tells the Druid.


    "No. It¡¯s not that. We simply need time to gather everything up. How many in the party?"


    "Three, no wait, four. Four people are going to Ravenna." I answer.


    "That makes it easy. I¡¯ll need to find some more sailor Ice Mages... " Glen mumbles something. "How long will you stay there?"


    "Indefinitely." Laira says. The kid¡¯s face rearranges itself into a puzzled look.


    "So your party of four is going one way?" Glen¡¯s gaze turns suspicious¡­ We nod.


    "Is that a problem?" I question¡­


    "Well yes and no¡­" The kid hesitates. "We can¡¯t take a small ship, even if there aren¡¯t many travelers, solely for the reason of stocking up provisions needed for the duration of the trip. Since you do not wish to stop at any of the other ports, it means we need to have enough food and everything to last the crew one way. Now if the party in question is staying at their destination, that means we would need to either a, find other people who would need a ship to somewhere, which could become a drag, or b, find some who would want to go one way only. It wouldn¡¯t be much of a problem if it was a short trip, but all the way to Noxanda¡­ I will definitely need at least a few weeks to see if I can gather up a crew of capable sailors¡­" The kid lowers his gaze to his feet. "We can always sell the ship once we get to Ravenna. Or keep it docked just in case. Hiring someone to look after it ¨C shouldn¡¯t be difficult." He looks back at us. "May I ask who is in your party?"


    "Breeze, Crile, Percy and Jack." Laira uses the stone. Glen¡¯s eyes widen.


    "Give me a week. There are plenty of people who want to go home back to the Old Continent. I¡¯ll let you know then how soon we can leave."


    "Appreciated." Laira hands the Druid a pouch of coins. "Feel free to ask for more."


    "Much obliged." The kid bows.


    "Perfect. We¡¯ll keep in touch." I nod to the kid.


    "How did it go?" Breeze asks us.


    "Percival was incredible! The kid pulled off a top-notch performance!" I proclaim proudly.


    "He was indeed, nothing short of amazing." Laira agrees. "I doubt we¡¯ll get our answers soon, but I have a newly found adoration for our little Cleanser."


    "Well I¡¯m not surprised. The kid is bright." Crile says.


    "Did you know he¡¯s nineteen?" Laira adds.


    "Oh? I had no clue. He looks sixteen at best." Breeze moves over, giving me access to the cellar.


    "That¡¯s what she said!" I call out going down the stairs for a keg of beer. "By the way, what was that about that newly found adoration you mentioned?" I glare at my girl, putting the keg down.


    "Nothing you need to worry about." She winks at me. Hmm¡­


    "Did you manage to speak with Glen?" Crile cuts off my silent pouting.


    "He said he needs a week to start with. He¡¯ll let us know then how long it will be before you can set sail."


    "Can¡¯t be helped. We are asking a lot¡­" Breeze agrees.


    "Did you tell him who is going?" The Assassin asks our backs.


    "I did." Laira turns around. "He knew about Breeze. Was I wrong to?" I glance quickly over my shoulder. I see Crile shake his head.


    "No, it¡¯s better this way. He¡¯ll know how to pick his crew better now."


    "You scared me there for a moment..." My girl lets out a sigh of relief and so do I¡­


    Two months later.


    We leave the cabin as soon as it gets dark. Breeze and I take Meteor. Percival and Jack get on Storm with Laira and Marcus riding Sky. We leave Rixa behind. He¡¯s not going anyways. Good riddance. We get to the docks. I help Breeze get of my dragon, he seems to be aware of the changes in her body, as he too, has that ¡°be careful¡± look on his scaled face. I pat the dragon one last time and press my forehead to his. I don¡¯t say anything. Breeze does the same goodbye with Storm¡­


    "Kid, what the hell did you pack? Bricks?" The Ram helps Percival with his bags. Our Cleanser¡¯s grip slips and one bag ends up falling open to the ground.


    "They¡¯re books". Marcus picks up a few.


    "Brand new too." Laira flips trough one. "These must have cost a fortune."


    "Why did you bring so many?" I ask the boy.


    "They are supposed to be gifts to you and the Lady. I thought maybe you could use them later when¡­ the child¡­" He quickly shuts up. "I¡¯m sorry!" He blurs out bowing. "I should have asked¡­"


    "Percival, don¡¯t." Breeze puts her hand on the kid¡¯s shoulder. "Don¡¯t ever lower your head in front of us." Percy looks back up. "You are on equal ground with us, you have no need to bow."


    "We¡¯ll be more than happy to take any help we can get. The Heavens know we have no clue about anything." I calm the boy.


    "We have two months at sea, we¡¯ll be sure to learn from you as much as we can." Breeze seconds me.


    "Alright." Our Cleanser nods.


    "Commander." Glen approaches us and begins kneeling next to us.


    "Don¡¯t you dare." Breeze tells the boy. "No need for that." He hesitates, but stands up right.


    "I¡¯m happy to see you well." He says.


    "Thank you. We appreciate your hard work on this." Breeze bows her head lightly.


    "How¡¯s the crew?" I ask getting our and Percy¡¯s bags.


    "A mix of the recruits who went with us and some old timers who want to get back home to the Old Continent." Glen explains.


    "Excellent."


    "I can¡¯t believe we need to say goodbye, again." Laira hugs Breeze.


    "It won¡¯t be forever this time." She answers. "You¡¯ll come to visit once the child is born?"


    "Of course!" Marcus says. "We¡¯re looking forward to it!"


    "One way or another we¡¯ll have to come round to pick this one up. Or he¡¯ll never get out of the Archives." Laira pats Percy on the head.


    "Speaking of which;" Breeze starts; "should you finish earlier, feel free to come round to Astri."


    "Oh, I think I should use up the four months to research as much as possible. Wouldn¡¯t want to miss anything." The kid mumbles.


    "Why four?" Jack finally speaks again.


    "Commander should be around 22 weeks into the pregnancy when we¡¯ll reach The Land of Race, about half way, so that will give me roughly about four months of research."


    "Make that six." Marcus says. "Two more till we reach Astri."


    "Oh, right. Then six. That should be enough time." Percy makes the adjustment. I see the look on Laira¡¯s face. So does Breeze.


    "See you in half a year."


    "See you in half a year." Laira nods, tears glistening in the moonlight. Marcus and I shake hands. Jack too. With Percival getting a ruffing on his hair. The Mage laughs as the Cleanser fixes himself up.


    "Safe travels." Marcus wishes us.


    "May the Stars shine upon you." Laira tells us four an old Noxian saying, wishing best of luck with a blessing, as we board the ship. We watch five figures get slowly away from us, bit by bit, with the ship sailing further off into the night.

 7. The Long Lost Talk

    ¡°Sir, a word?¡± Glen approaches me.


    ¡°It''s Crile. No need for that.¡±


    ¡°Habit. How''s commander?¡±


    ¡°Sedated. The choppy sea isn¡¯t doing her any favors right now. Don¡¯t worry, she''s in good hands. And please, do try your best to not call her that, she really hates it.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Glad to hear it. I''ll try...¡± Glen averts his gaze.


    ¡°Is there something else on your mind?¡± I ask the boy.


    ¡°Yes. We ask that you accept us as your personal guard.¡±


    ¡°Who is ¡°we?¡±


    ¡°Us.¡± Seven more Noxians line up behind the kid. Four girls and three guys. Eight total...


    ¡°We wish to serve you and the Lady.¡± Glen''s clearly the voice of the group...


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°We wish to show our respect.¡± Glen continues.


    ¡°You''ve done that. Now what?¡±


    ¡°My lord.¡± Glen starts and I instantly cut him off.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even. None of that. Please.¡±


    ¡°Sir. If it weren''t for the Lady and your team¡¯s efforts, we would have never realized our full potential. It has been a major game changer for us and we wish to return the favor.¡±


    ¡°Show of hands how many of you fought in the Rebirth 8 months ago?" Eight hands.


    ¡°Favor returned.¡± I tell them.


    ¡°Sir, please, our people back home have no idea what possibilities they have to choose from.¡± Another boy steps forth. ¡°We want to share the Lady''s teachings.¡± Is that so? I grin on the inside.


    ¡°What are you?¡± I ask him.


    ¡°A combat Ravo. I was studying under Lady Evergreen till now. Both medical and battle techniques.¡±


    ¡°Name?¡± I don¡¯t let up.


    ¡°Drew, sir.¡±


    ¡°Next one?¡± I ask looking them over.


    ¡°Pyro. Fire Mage Assassin.¡± Oh? Glen looks at me next.


    ¡°Assassin in training.¡±


    ¡°Weren''t you a Water Beast Druid?¡± I think back to the lake crossing¡­


    ¡°Not anymore.¡± Interesting...


    ¡°Odri. Assassin Hunter."


    ¡°Arra. Beast Assasin.¡± The girl shifts her arm into a crab claw. That could easy take one¡¯s head clean of its shoulders...


    ¡°Erin. Warrior Cleanser.¡±


    ¡°Messo. Beast Assasin.¡±


    ¡°Tigglia. Ice Mage Ram.¡± A Ram? Her? On second thought, why am I still surprised?


    ¡°Am I to assume all of you share the same opinion then?¡± They nod. I sigh.


    ¡°I shall discuss this with my other half, as soon as she is able to hold her head up again. We''ll let you know later what we decide, sound good?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Glen answers for the bunch.


    ¡°At ease.¡± I tell them as a joke and go down below the deck, back to my woman.


    ¡°You want kids?¡± I ask. Laira lifts her head up at me with a question mark for eyes.


    ¡°Where is this coming from?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m 32 already¡­ With those two having one soon, I kinda figured?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you thought of that?¡±


    ¡°Is it that surprising?¡± I look at her rolling on my side.


    ¡°Maybe? Kids aren¡¯t something men usually think about?¡± The doubt is evident.


    ¡°Who says men can¡¯t be good parents?¡± I pout. She laughs under her breath.


    ¡°No. That¡¯s not what I mean.¡±


    ¡°Well?¡± I ask her, putting a hair strand behind her ear. ¡°Think about it?¡±


    ¡°You know we can¡¯t have any¡­¡± She pats the sheets where her belly is¡­


    ¡°We can always adopt.¡± I lift her face up. ¡°Just think about it. That¡¯s all I¡¯m asking.¡± She nods. I kiss her softly on the lips¡­


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Breeze keeps on hurling up. ¡°How long have we been sailing?¡± She leans overboard again. I giggle.


    ¡°A few weeks only.¡± I tell her giggling.


    ¡°How!¡± She throws up again. ¡°PERCIVAL!¡± She roars louder than the wind.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry mistress, there¡¯s so much I can do¡­¡± The kid worked hard to lose the ¡°commander¡±.


    ¡°I changed my mind! Just throw me in there!¡± She points to the choppy water.


    ¡°Nope.¡± I shake my head, smiling still.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± She glares at me.


    ¡°You.¡± I tell her grinning. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you like this. It¡¯s refreshing.¡±


    ¡°How is any of this¡­¡± She holds it in this time. ¡°Refreshing?¡±


    ¡°Because. All I ever saw you like was strong, powerful, almost immortal, an idiot;¡± she throws another stabbing glare my way, I smile again; ¡°but never weak. I¡¯m enjoying this because it¡¯s something new.¡±


    ¡°Glad to be of service¡­¡± She slides down on the floor. Percival hands her a glass.


    ¡°What is it this time?¡± She asks panting.


    ¡°Water only.¡± The boy answers.


    ¡°Thank you, Percival.¡± I take the glass from the kid.


    ¡°Distract me.¡± Zarri moves her lips with her eyes closed.


    ¡°Well;¡± I sit down next to her, giving Percy a quick wave, the boy nods and retreats; ¡°Glen has been working hard on his Shadow Walk. It¡¯s not that easy letting your mana flow outwards without any borders. It¡¯s not the same as infusing it inside of you to maintain the shift or focusing on a water droplet and growing it¡­ The shadows don¡¯t have a physical form, so, grasping them is tricky¡­ Of course, I don¡¯t expect him to master it any time soon, but he is catching on quick.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± Breeze rests her head on my shoulder.


    ¡°Drew is practicing his medical Vines more lately.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s Zaltem¡¯s buddy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the same one¡­¡± I stop myself mid breath and smile. ¡°I need to remember that now there are two types of Ravos¡­ Drew told me Zaltem wanted to go, but then he decided to stay behind and help out with the RRD. Zaltem was born in the Royal City. So, Drew was the better option. Everyone is working hard, polishing their new skills.¡± I pause. ¡°You know, you may not want to admit it, but you did inspire the kids. They are mixing it up from Mancer-Warr-Cleansers¡¯ to Combat Ravos¡¯ and Beast Assassins¡¯. I¡¯m actually looking forward to seeing what else they can come up with.¡± I feel Breeze¡¯s body twitching next to mine. I take a glance. She¡¯s smiling, eyes closed still.


    ¡°Somehow, I¡¯m happy¡­¡± Her breathing steady again. ¡°As long as I, no, Deathbreeze Skyrider, could be useful ¨C I¡¯ll be happy¡­¡±


    ¡°You were more than useful.¡± I speak in a low voice. ¡°Knowledge without experience is the same as breathing without walking. What good does it do you if you can¡¯t do anything? You threw those kids into real life situations, giving them an option to actually use their skills and knowledge. You gave them a chance to realize just how much of their abilities they are virtually able to use when it matters most.¡±


    ¡°You make it sound so glorifying¡­ All I did was kick their butts.¡±


    ¡°True. Almost killing yourself, for which, by the way, I still need to punish you¡­¡± I put my arm around her and gently brush my fingers along the side of Zarri¡¯s breast¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it¡­¡± She whispers in my ear. I grin again like a moron.


    ¡°I missed you¡­¡± I give her a peck on the head.


    ¡°I missed you too¡­¡° She whispers again. A few sailors walk past us.


    ¡°You don¡¯t give yourself enough credit.¡± I tell her.


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult for me to see the bright side¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for¡­¡± I nudge her to me.


    ¡°Percival, quick question.¡± I interrupt our daily lesson.


    ¡°Yes, sir?¡± He focuses all of his attention on me.


    ¡°How is it that you know so much about this? Did you actually read all of these before giving them to us?¡± I circle the book pile that we are surrounding in the middle of the deck.


    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t. I learned it all back in my home town, I studied under our local healer. There are very little illnesses or let¡¯s say conditions, that are pretty much the same for everyone. Common cold and pregnancy are two of the examples. You don¡¯t really need magic for these two, not unless something serious happens, so, knowing the common treatments is a must. That, of course, requires herbal knowledge, sometimes even Mixology. Since healers don¡¯t use magic at all, they are popular with poor people who can¡¯t afford to study magic or simply have no mana and¡­¡± The kid shuts up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m rambling.¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Breeze disagrees. ¡°I enjoy your explanations.¡±


    ¡°You were a great help back then, before the battle as well.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Zarri agrees with me. ¡°You were saying?¡±


    ¡°Oh well, in that case, learning about pregnancy is one of the musts for a healer. The entire body anatomy is the first thing we learn. I don¡¯t just know how it works and how it is treated, I have first-hand experience in delivering the babies as well. That¡¯s how I was able to get a job with the Healer¡¯s guild in the City.¡±


    ¡°Impressive.¡± I look at the kid differently. ¡°You told us you¡¯re an orphan?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I studied with the healer, but lived alone. I worked to support myself, gathering herbs, then healing, I bought a book for Cleansers from a traveling merchant and began practicing¡­ It cost me all of my savings at the time, but it was worth the trouble... Oh, but don¡¯t think I was always alone, it¡¯s just that my mom died when I was very little and my grandma took care of me till around, I was six? But she too died¡­ We couldn¡¯t afford good medicine¡­ That was when I started working¡­¡± The boy¡¯s gaze gets lost reminiscing, we don¡¯t interfere.


    ¡°Anyhow, eventually I made it here¡­ I learned a lot from the local Cleanser¡¯s at the guild, with that I was able to apply for the Army.¡± He quickly gives a nervous smile.


    ¡°You did great, Percival. I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t easy.¡± Breeze crawls over to our little Cleanser. ¡°If you ever need anything, let us know, we¡¯ll be there for you, all of us.¡± She hugs the child to her side.


    ¡°Exactly;¡± I put my hand on his other shoulder; ¡°you¡¯re part of the family, don¡¯t forget that.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± He nods. The kid doesn¡¯t even bother with his usual ¡°sorry and thank you¡± routine. He¡¯s improved.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t they be arriving at Astri by now?¡± I ask Laira.


    ¡°More or less any day now¡­¡±


    ¡°And how long have been drowning in these?¡± I pick a bunch of scrolls.


    ¡°Three weeks, maybe?¡± Laira finally looks up at me. ¡°Is there something on your mind?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You.¡±


    ¡°Marcus.¡± She gives a somewhat disappointed look. I want to say something back, but I notice a Balli boy stand behind Laira.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I address the kid. Laira turns in her chair.


    ¡°We found these.¡± He puts a jewelry box on the table. Laira opens it.


    ¡°Letters?¡± She takes some out and hands me a few.


    ¡°Where did you find these?¡± I ask the kid.


    ¡°In the miscellaneous section. Some of us figured there could be something there too. The shelves are full with boxes. That¡¯s the part of the library that is called ¡°Letters to Nobody.¡± It is meant for those who are unable to express their feelings or wish to talk to their loved ones who passed away¡­¡± The boy explains it.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware there was something like that¡­¡± I start reading the letters. Parts of them at a time. They sound pretty much the same?


    ¡°Marcus;¡± Laira¡¯s whisper is packed with horror; ¡°these are¡­¡± I pick up the pattern.


    ¡°Yeah, I see it too¡­¡±


    ¡°We need to tell her!¡± She jumps of her chair.


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± I throw a nasty look. She sits back down. ¡°Just wait a moment.¡±


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°How many of these are related to the Rebirth?¡± I ask the Balli teen.


    ¡°Some.¡±


    ¡°Comb through them and bring us anything that even mentions the Rebirth or the Castle of Despair! We cannot afford anything slip by us!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The kid makes a quick bow and the next thing I see is his robe swishing around as he leaves.


    ¡°Why wait?¡± Laira stares at me. ¡°She has been blaming herself for all this time! She needs to know!¡±


    ¡°I understand that.¡± I walk over to her and sit down next to my girl. ¡°They have a child on the way, telling her now would only get in the way of her health. We¡¯ll tell her once we go visit them after the kid is born. We¡¯ll go see them and rendezvous with Percival at the same time. I¡¯m sure they will want to know what we found either way. It will be the perfect time for everything.¡± I pick her face up and turn her to me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the task at hand. You can¡¯t say we have much to show for right now.¡± She nods.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard for you.¡± I hug her to my chest. ¡°Sadly, this is the best we can do at the moment so let¡¯s do it right, ok?¡± She nods again.


    ¡°Speaking of which. I was thinking maybe we should start from the newest reports to oldest?¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± I look at her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had this nagging feeling about something, just can¡¯t place my finger on it. So far, we¡¯ve been going through the reports dating right after the 200 Years of Darkness, but, as you said, we haven¡¯t found much. So, I figured maybe we could try going backwards?¡±


    ¡°Sure, we got nothing to lose.¡± I agree.


    ¡°We should tell Percival about these.¡± She gestures to the box.


    ¡°Maybe once he¡¯s actually there.¡± I suggest. "I wonder how much the two of them managed to learn?¡± I giggle.


    ¡°Oh, with Percival as the teacher and Crile by her side ¨C they won¡¯t miss a single detail.¡± She smiles with a bit of a regret in the corners of her lips. ¡°I hope she¡¯ll be alright¡­¡±


    ¡°You said it yourself ¨C Crile is with her. They¡¯ll be fine.¡± I hug her again¡­


    ¡°I feel sick.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you¡­¡± She puts her hand on my arm. ¡°It¡¯s not the baby. It¡¯s me. I¡¯m too nervous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right here next to you.¡± I take her hand and put it to my lips. She takes a breath.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s do this.¡± We step out of the carriage. The guards by the gates look us over in a suspicious gaze. One of them approaches us.


    ¡°State your business.¡±


    ¡°Please let my mother know that I am home.¡± Zarri answers without stopping. The dumbfounded look on the man makes my day. Suddenly, the entire front of the Marble Palace is on one knee. We walk by it all with an escort of our own right behind us. The same happens the whole way to the throne hall. The giant doors are gaping wide open.


    ¡°This is it.¡± Breeze whispers. I squeeze her hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡± I tell her. We enter the hall. Everyone present there are already kneeling. We take our positions in the middle of the room and our escort takes a knee too, following Glen¡¯s lead.


    ¡°I have returned, as promised, mother.¡± Zarri bows.


    ¡°Priestess.¡± I bow.


    ¡°Welcome home.¡± Lady Devona steps down to greet us. ¡°Leave us.¡± She says coldly. She¡¯s not wasting any time, is she? I turn to Glen and give the ok. The kid nods. Our escort is the last to exist the room.


    ¡°You too, Crile.¡± What?


    ¡°My Queen¡­¡± I start. She stops me with a wave of a hand.


    ¡°I wish to speak with my daughter, alone.¡± She doesn¡¯t even look at me. I hesitate.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡± Zarri nods.


    ¡°As you wish.¡± I walk out.


    ¡°As you wish.¡± Crile lets go of my hand and leaves the room.


    ¡°Let me get straight to the point.¡± Mother starts. ¡°Do you take me for a fool? I wasn¡¯t born yesterday! What in the name of the stars were you thinking lying to me like that? Did you think I wouldn¡¯t figure it out? Did you honestly believe that I would accept your foolish sacrifice? I patiently sat here, waiting for you to come around and yet something tells me that if it weren¡¯t for the ambitious fool at Araneum¡­¡± She pauses. ¡°What¡¯s the idiots name again?¡±


    ¡°Tahon.¡± I answer.


    ¡°Yes! Him! Waging war against us! The nerve! Who the Hell he thinks he is threatening my child and my nation!¡±


    ¡°The King of Concord with major delusions of grandeur¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care! The fact remains! If it weren¡¯t for him, you probably would be sleeping in a gutter somewhere still! When exactly where you planning on coming home? Next millennia? I will be back after this is over. Do NOT MOCK ME!¡± She growls at me. Mom¡¯s pissed¡­ ¡°Going on a suicide mission like that! What do you have to say for yourself?¡± She finally looks at me again.


    ¡°I have no excuse.¡±


    ¡°Of course not! Stupid ones never do!¡± She flares up again. ¡°Why must you be like this? Was I too strict? Not strict enough? Did I expect too much? How in the world did I ever raise such a moron for a daughter! The first ever only heir to be born to this land and yet!! How many nights do you think I sat up waiting for a sign? Does home mean nothing to you? How ungrateful, spoiled, selfish and childish can you possibly get!! Your recklessness remains unrivaled to this day!! Of all the egotistic things you could have EVER POSSIBLY come up with ¨C it HAD TO BE saving the world! As if we do not have enough problems of our own!!¡± She stops pacing back and forth¡­ I brace for another round¡­


    ¡°As much as I would like to lecture you, I have to admit that I too am to blame for your recklessness.¡± Oh? She takes a breather.


    ¡°I failed you as a mother. I never knew how to handle you¡­ You don¡¯t simply look like your father, you have his spirit too. Unfortunately, for me, you also have my defiance. You never let rules to define you. Which makes it so difficult for me to know which I am supposed to be. Proud or mad.¡± She turns to me. ¡°You were all I had left of him. I wanted to keep you safe¡­¡± Her voice weakens. ¡°At all cost. I thought that losing you would be the end of me and yet I couldn¡¯t bring myself to face you¡­ I regret everything. Neither one of my damn decisions was ever correct.¡± She turns away again. I smile. Guess it runs in the family¡­ I let her speak.


    ¡°My ambitions cost me too much. My mate. My child. The High Priestess is nothing, but a title. I was wrong to believe that it was what defined a person. I failed to realize that it is the person who defines the title.¡± She walks over to the giant arch window. Well, more like a giant arched hole in the wall¡­


    ¡°Your father only ever had one dream. To have a family. Of all the things I ever asked of him, he asked only for one. A child. I wasn¡¯t able to give him that. Because I was a coward. He died before I realized his dream. I never wanted anything more than to walk with him to our elder days. I didn¡¯t overturn the rigged system just so I could have it all. The title and the man. I did so because I believed Wykren would make a fine King. Caring and compassionate. Sadly, he was all I imagined him to be. Did I ever tell you that it was his idea to have an heir inherit the ruling of Noxanda, rather than letting the old farts pick someone?¡±


    ¡°I assumed it was all your doing.¡± I tell mother.


    ¡°It was my doing. It was his suggestion that inspired me. I never wished to be the chosen one. I never once defied anything or anyone. I had always stuck to my business. That, perhaps, was the reason why I was selected. Boy, were they surprised when I began taking matters into my own hands¡­ All because I wished to be with Wykren. I wanted to have that family with him. Our family. Our children¡­ I never wished to be the Queen. I wanted him to be my King. However. The geezers weren¡¯t easy to deal with.¡± She walks a straight line, by the window row, behind the throne, once more.


    ¡°They kept testing us. Of course, we did not give them the satisfaction. We passed their tests with flying colors each time. I should have trusted myself more back then.¡± Her face is full of regret and contempt¡­


    ¡°It was my biggest mistake to ask your father to wait for me. I never felt ready to be a mother, no matter how much I wanted to be the one to make your father¡¯s dream come true. I believed that if I were to get pregnant so soon after the reform, the higher ups would dismiss me and Wykren. Under the pretense that I was operating simply on pure childish whim¡­ So, after talking with Wykren, we decided that we would prove ourselves to be worthy first. That it is not merely a game for us¡­ It took us too long.¡± She stares at me with a devastated expression.


    ¡°He died before meeting you and I never forgave myself for it¡­¡± Mother¡¯s eyes slowly weep. I have a feeling I should stay quiet¡­


    ¡°Losing him was the worst thing for me. I knew I should try twice as much to be a great parent for you and yet every time I saw your eyes¡­ His eyes in you, I could not contain the pain¡­ I was so broken I didn¡¯t let anyone near you¡­ I held you in my arms and wished for your father to burst into the bedroom all riled up with excitement¡­ I thought that if only I¡¯ll keep holding you somehow, he will come back to me¡­ Yet nothing happened¡­ You were slowly growing up and he was dead still¡­ Time froze for me¡­ I wasn¡¯t strong enough to face you as you.¡± She gazes out the window and I feel my own face getting wet with tears¡­


    ¡°I tried to give you as much freedom as I could, all the while trying my best to raise you as an heir¡­ I failed miserably. I was neither a mother, nor a Queen. I became a Priestess once more. Nothing more than a public figure¡­ My inability to cope with the loss of my love ruined the most important thing for me. You. As a consequence to that, I became negligent in my duties as the Ruler of Noxanda¡­ And I have nobody, but myself to blame¡­¡± She walks over to me, takes my hands into hers¡­


    ¡°Forgive the fool, should you find it possible, so I can finally die in peace¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡± I burst it out and cry without making a sound.


    ¡°Oh, my sweet child, must you do this to me!¡± Mother hugs me. ¡°Here I was hoping I could finally go and see your father in the Afterlife¡­¡± She weeps too. ¡°He would never speak to me again if I were to leave before meeting his grandchild¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I cry into her ear¡­


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°For everything¡­¡± She pushes me away from her and I cover my face.


    ¡°Do not ever, dare to apologize for being what you are.¡± I feel a soft caress on my hair¡­


    ¡°What is that? I ask like a damn brat¡­


    ¡°Daughter of Wykren Stardust, the Bladed Wind, 1<sup>st</sup> man ever to become the King of Noxanda ¨CGazarria Stardust.¡± She holds my face gently in her palms. ¡°You are his greatest Treasure. The Name Gazarria is proof of that.¡±


    ¡°I always thought that my name was because I was the first heir to ever be born¡­¡±


    ¡°Not at all. As a matter of fact, your father was the one who advocated that the child might choose to be something else entirely, from what we would like them to be¡­ Even though, he was the one to suggest having an heir, I do believe that was merely a pretext to have many children, he probably hoped that one of them would choose to rule our land.¡±


    I giggle nervously. ¡°He was right about that.¡±


    ¡°Amongst other things¡­¡± Mother smiles at me. ¡°Crile!¡± She calls out into the empty room. Crile emerges from the shadows, in the middle of the throne hall. I stare at him shocked.


    ¡°How long were you there?¡± I ask. He puts his hand around my waist.


    ¡°Since I left.¡±


    ¡°Well done.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Priestess.¡± Crile nods.


    ¡°Good job bringing her home too.¡± Mother adds. Oh, for the¡­ I see the idiot grin with pleasure.


    ¡°I do believe there is one other person whom you need to see?¡± She tells us sitting back down in her throne, behind the oversized marble desk¡­


    ¡°We were planning on it.¡± Crile answers. ¡°Priestess.¡± He nods again.


    ¡°Mother.¡± I too nod.


    ¡°Take care of my girl.¡± She throws a quick glare.


    ¡°I intend to.¡±


    ¡°Gorgeous. Is it possible you¡¯ve become even more beautiful?¡± Ira takes Breeze into his embrace.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Master.¡±


    ¡°Not as much as it is for me to see you, talk about a sight for sore eyes. Let me take a good look at you. Stunning.¡± He brushes his fingertips across Breeze¡¯s face. ¡°I see you are still as useless as ever.¡± He speaks to me in his usual insulting way, without even bothering to make eye contact.


    ¡°Long time no see, Master.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s father to you. Or did being so long away from home make you forget?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not¡­¡± Never mind.


    ¡°What¡¯s with this?¡± Zarri points to the thick beard that¡¯s covering half of Ira¡¯s face.


    ¡°I thought I try something new. What? No good?¡± He asks scratching the bottom of it. Breeze laughs.


    ¡°It looks like roadkill.¡± She tells him. I grin.


    ¡°Ouch. That actually hurts my feelings a little.¡±


    ¡°As if you have any¡­¡± I whisper.


    ¡°A clean shave suits you better.¡± Breeze covers up my mumbling. Master lets out a heavy sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it off¡­ Now then, how long will you be staying?¡± Ira asks her.


    ¡°A long and boring while.¡± Zarri tells him.


    ¡°Oh? Did something happen?¡± He asks staring me down.


    ¡°You can say that¡­¡± Breeze puts her hands on her belly¡­


    ¡°No¡­ Gorgeous, don¡¯t do this to me!¡± He hugs her again. ¡°Your father will have my head if I go before meeting his grandbaby.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± She smiles.


    ¡°How long?¡±


    ¡°Half way there.¡± I answer.


    ¡°Guess you finally managed to do something right, Cri.¡± He mocks me again.


    ¡°And you¡¯re surprised I refuse to call you ¡°dad¡­¡± I roll my eyes¡­ Hate it when he calls me that¡­


    Zarri laughs. ¡°Seeing you like this always reminds me of the good old days.¡±


    ¡°Gorgeous.¡± He strokes her hair. ¡°You have a whole lot of good days ahead of you to look forward to.¡± He puts his hand on her belly.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡± She tells him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. You have absolutely nothing to fear. We¡¯re here for you. We won¡¯t let you go through this by yourself. Heck, you even have that idiot by your side.¡± He points to me.


    ¡°What kind of a father belittles his son every time they see each other?¡±


    ¡°The kind that wants you to never stop advancing and improving. I only hit you because I know you can take it.¡± Ira finally graces me with a glance. I open my mouth, but Zarri jumps in front of me.


    ¡°Joins us for dinner.¡±


    ¡°With pleasure.¡± Ira offers Breeze his elbow. She gladly takes it. ¡°So then, did my wedding invitation get lost in the mail?¡± Say what now? Zarri freezes in her tracks.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t.¡± I answer.


    ¡°I see. I assumed, since¡­¡±


    ¡°No, this was not planned¡­¡± Breeze blushes lightly, remembering how and where ¡°this¡± happened¡­


    ¡°Well then, shall we have your wedding here then? Along with your coronation?¡± Ira asks. Now I freeze in my tracks.


    ¡°I¡¯d like that. It would be a wonderful occasion and a day to remember in our nation¡¯s history.¡± Lady Devona meets us at the entrance to the Palace from the training grounds.


    ¡°I guess there¡¯s no helping it. Then how about tomorrow?¡± Breeze suggests.


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush, you should take some time to rest.¡± Ira makes the suggestion now.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not wait any longer.¡± Zarri stops. ¡°I kept our people waiting long enough.¡± She stares her mother right in the eye.


    ¡°We¡¯ll make the announcement tomorrow evening, we can have a nice family dinner after that, it will be enough.¡± Priestess says.


    ¡°How about we make a bonfire and make a feast for the people ¨C anyone who wishes is welcome to enjoy some food and wine?¡± Breeze pitches the idea. Ira laughs out loud.


    ¡°Spoken like your father.¡± He gives her a quick peck on the side of her head.


    ¡°A feast for the people and dinner for us.¡± Lady Devona agrees.


    ¡°Sounds great.¡± I take Zarri away from Ira.


    Breeze walks out of the other room, dressed in a deep, dark red, flowy, silk gown... The layers of the dress make her appear as if she is floating¡­ The light refracting from the fabric is mesmerizing... The color accentuates Breeze''s azure skin, somehow making her royal blue hair even bluer... The loose waves drape down nicely down her shoulders, back and chest... The entire image leaves me breathless... I see Zarri¡¯s lips move yet no sound reaches me... I stare at the Goddess in front of me...


    ¡°Strip.¡± I hear a sound, vaguely resembling my own voice. My body gets of the bed and walks over to Breeze. I see the dress fall to the floor in one fluid motion, surrounding her in a pool of blood... I feel the clothes fly off my skin as I close the distance between us. I take my woman into my arms. Her body trembles, I tighten my embrace. I lock my lips on hers and her legs on my hips...


    ¡°Of all the times to be late!¡± Devona''s pacing again.


    ¡°You waited half a century, a few more minutes won''t make a difference.¡±


    ¡°That is not the point!¡± She turns to me. ¡°Has that child no respect for others? I''d like to think she had learned that much!¡± I open my mouth and leave it gapping open. I see the two of them walking down the corridor... Well well... I grin.


    ¡°You''ll know all the thirteen reasons why they''re late in a moment.¡± Devona stops and notices the kids... I see the look change in her eyes.


    ¡°She''s as gorgeous as her mother...¡± I whisper in her ear... ¡°I raised the boy right...¡± I continue with no rush... ¡°Consider yourself lucky that he was generous enough to contain himself long enough to make this happen...¡±


    ¡°Sorry we¡¯re late.¡± Zarri and Cri take a quick bow.


    ¡°Shall we?¡± I offer my hand to the girl. She takes it. Devona walks over to his daughter.


    ¡°It¡¯s moments like these I regret not having your father here to see how beautiful you are¡­¡± As do I¡­ Zarri only manages to smile. Devona takes her daughter¡¯s hand and they walk out onto the balcony. Cri and I follow them. The cheers hit us before we can take up our positions. Cri next to the ladies, with me watching from the shadows. Devona gives the people a few moments.


    ¡°My brothers, sisters, it is with greatest pleasure that I stand here before you today.¡± Devona begins her speech. ¡°At long last, Noxanda has a King and a Queen once more!¡± The cheers pick up again. Zarri and Cri take front row center.


    ¡°My dearest, fellow Noxians;¡± Zarri speaks to the crowd. ¡°WE stand before you as the new King and Queen of our land. We ask for your blessings and I ask for your forgiveness!¡± Zarri lays down her upper half on the stone ledge. The people die down. We wait.


    ¡°I ask to forgive the fool for abandoning her duties and responsibilities! I ask to forgive the selfish child, who took a lifetime to grow up, before she was ready to lead you all! I ask to forgive the idiot, who wasted your patience and respect! I ask you to forgive the brat that neglected you all in times of need, all because I was a weakling and a coward!¡± Zarri continues. ¡°I ask that you lend me your strength! Show me the way to your hearts! I ask for a chance to redeem myself in front of you all!¡± She pauses as the crowd down below stands in total silence.


    ¡°I am well aware that I ask for the impossible of you! But know this, my fellow Noxians!¡± Her voice picks up power. ¡°In return, I vow, upon the unborn second-generation heir, to earn back your trust! Your respect! And your love! Now that I am here, I will prove myself worthy of my place here! Before you all! When that day comes! I ask that you stand tall together with me!¡± The crowd roars again.


    ¡°My fellow Noxians!¡± The boy speaks to the nation. ¡°As your King, I pledge to you, to protect you with my life! All of you! This land! My child and my wife! I will not let anyone or anything get in the way of our nation¡¯s happiness! I pity the fools who dare to stand against us!¡± Ha! That was all so he could make a display out of his feelings for his woman¡­ The moron¡­ They both just publicly confirmed that Zarri is with a child. That got the people riled up more than anything they just said¡­ A subtle diversion¡­ I smile. It takes a strong woman to stand at the top and it takes even a stronger man to stand before her, with his back to her, and the nation, facing the world¡­ Wykren, my old friend, you were right¡­


    ¡°Join us! As we walk through life! I invite you to walk alongside with us!¡± My my, guess all that time in Araneum paid off¡­


    ¡°We promise you!¡± The both of them call out. ¡°WE will lead you all into a better future!!¡± The kids hold hands and raise them into the air. The people cheer again. Well done¡­

 8. The Future

    ¡°My lords, if I may have a moment of your time.¡± The head guard kneels.


    ¡°Speak.¡± I tell him.


    ¡°My fellow guards and I am somewhat confused...¡± He chooses his words carefully.


    ¡°About what?¡± Breeze asks without looking away from the books.


    ¡°About your escort.¡±


    ¡°What about it?¡± I ask. He hesitates. ¡°Say it and look us in the eye when you do. Do not insult us by wasting our time.¡±


    ¡°Why are they here still?¡± He finally says it. ¡°It''s been a few weeks now and they haven''t left. What''s even more insulting is that they seem to have occupied our places as the royal guard.¡± Oh boy...


    ¡°Insulting to whom? Exactly?¡± Breeze raises her head. ¡°To us?¡± She gives him the glare. ¡°Or to you?¡± The head guard averts his gaze. Called it.


    ¡°I believe you answered your own question there.¡± I speak calmy. ¡°They are OUR escort.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, we understand that much, however, we assumed they were only needed till you got here. It is us, after all, who are the Palace guards here and as such, we should be the ones guarding the royal family.¡±


    ¡°What is this us and them? Are we not all Noxians here?¡± Breeze stands from the chair. I''ll enjoy this.


    ¡°Well yes, but...¡± The man begins to sweat. His eyes uneasy.


    ¡°But what? What is the difference between you and them? Explain it to me.¡± Here it comes.


    ¡°We do not trust foreigners.¡± He says. How weak...


    ¡°Foreigners?¡± Breeze steps down and her feet are right next to the guard. ¡°Define foreigners, for me?¡± She circles the kneeling man. I grin.


    ¡°They are not from here¡­¡± He''s digging his own grave...


    ¡°Oh? I did not think there was a difference between Noxians born here and elsewhere?¡± She continues to circle the guard. ¡°I always believed that "foreigners" are supposed to be considered a different race, at least?¡± She''s playing stupid. ¡°How do you know, exactly, that our exclusive guard was not born here?¡± Silence.


    ¡°Oh?¡± She carries on. Her slow walk and tone alone are enough to build knee crushing pressure¡­ I keep grinning¡­ ¡°Don''t tell me you simply assumed?¡± The man does not answer.


    ¡°I wonder what you would have done if you saw a mix of races flooding the Marble Palace, threatening to take all of your jobs away from you?¡± Breeze sits back down.


    ¡°If that is all there is to it, then I see no problem.¡± She dives back into the books.


    ¡°There is.¡± The guard stands up. ¡°We are the royal guard here! We are better suited!¡±


    ¡°Based on what?¡± I cut him off. ¡°Birth place alone cannot possibly be enough. Nor your misguided preconceptions. Otherwise, you would be calling us foreigners as well.¡± Oh, the stare he gives me... ¡°How do we differ from our friends? Both, the Queen and I have been away from Noxanda long enough. A lifetime, one could say. Yet that, somehow, is not enough to call us foreigners? Or is it?¡± I glare at the guard. ¡°Do you not trust us then as well?¡± I hammer it in.


    ¡°No, that is not what I am saying¡­¡± The man holds my gaze to best of his ability.


    ¡°Then what is it?¡± I ask again. ¡°Are you here merely to pout?¡± The guard bites his lip in frustration.


    ¡°How about we settle this the old-fashioned way.¡± Breeze says. ¡°Glen.¡± The kid appears from the shadows on the side of the room.


    ¡°My lords.¡±


    ¡°Get your team and take them to the inner yard.¡± I tell him.


    ¡°Your men and you;¡± Zarri speaks to the head guard now; ¡°have a week to prove yourselves to be better than them. Feel free to challenge them to as many fights as you wish for the next seven days.¡±


    ¡°Should you and your guards succeed in defeating them, you''ll all be appointed as our exclusive guards.¡± I tell him.


    ¡°And should we fail?¡± The head guard asks.


    ¡°You''ll be going back into training and will give up your chambers here in the palace for our team.¡± Zarri tells the man.


    ¡°Killing and wounding of vital parts is prohibited.¡± I add.


    ¡°Do we have a deal? Breeze asks.


    ¡°We accept.¡± Glen says without raising his head.


    ¡°As do we.¡± The head guard nods.


    ¡°Hell yeah! Let¡¯s do this!¡± Pyro... Glen beats me to it and throws a nasty glare to the young man. I smile.


    ¡°Glen.¡± The kid looks at me. ¡°Make us proud.¡± The kid smiles.


    ¡°We intend to.¡± Our team vanishes.


    ¡°One last thing before you go.¡± Zarri speaks to the head guard.


    ¡°Yes, my Queen?¡± He kneels again.


    ¡°You''d be wise not to underestimate them.¡± I finish her sentence.


    ¡°Despite how they look or what you think you know about them, those kids have already been to Hell and back.¡± Breeze gives a blunt gaze. The look on the Noxians face says he got the hint. He nods and leaves the hall, with his men following suit.


    ¡°Foreigners?¡± Breeze mumbles. ¡°Don''t they have better things to do?¡± She gets up and I sit down, pulling her to me.


    ¡°Well, we did barge in here as if nothing ever happened...¡± I whisper nuzzling her... ¡°I can see how they would be dissatisfied..."


    ¡°Even if. The cowardice... Acting like spoiled brats!¡± The sounds of fighting reach inside the hall from the outside. We get up and take a look. Our team is kicking ass, as expected. The mumbling amongst the bystanders and the regular guard makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. The confusion is evident even from all the way over here.


    ¡°I just hope this won''t backfire on us...¡± Zarri says with concern clear in her tone. I kiss her shoulder.


    ¡°They would have already tried to kill us by now at least once... This is simply a matter of bruised pride. Men can be touchy about that, sometimes...¡± I keep my voice low. ¡°Once the difference in skill will be established, they won''t have a choice, but to admit defeat. They won''t be able to avoid the reality and will have to take a different approach. Wasn''t that how you saw it?¡±


    ¡°Those were kids. These are old-timers...¡±. Zarri rests her head against my neck. ¡°They can just quit and revolt.¡± I giggle.


    ¡°If that would be the case then I''d say good riddance. That would only prove our point. It''s time for change. This is the next step...¡± I tighten my arms around my wife''s belly...


    ¡°Who says they aren¡¯t testing us?¡± She puts her arms on mine. ¡°Biding their time?¡±


    ¡°Even if, it¡¯s barely been a few weeks. It¡¯s not enough to make a decision. Let alone organize an assassination of such degree.¡±


    ¡°Hope so¡­¡± She takes a breath.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I ask exhaling right into her ear.


    ¡°What if the child doesn¡¯t like me?¡±


    ¡°What makes you think they won¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°What makes you think they should, in the first place?¡± Zarri looks up at me with a question mark in her eyes.


    ¡°How about you worry about it when it does happen, instead of trying to guess what may or may not happen, before it even happens.¡± I tell her softly.


    ¡°I¡¯m so scared¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be¡­ I¡¯ll be right there with you, every step of the way¡­¡± I tell her and a long moment later I laugh quietly under my breath.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Finally, the day has come when I get to be the one you lean on¡­ I get to be your strength now¡­¡± I kiss her.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you allow food in here¡­¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t your average, everyday library here. Visitors are allowed into the Archives for set hours only. From six o¡¯clock in the morning till nine in the evening. It¡¯s best to bring food with you, since it takes a while to get to everything. That is why we have guides serving as waiting staff too. They also make sure that our guests take proper time and care to have their meals, so no damage comes to the documents in the meantime.¡± The Master of the Archives breaks it down for me.


    ¡°Sounds to me like they are our guards more than our guides...¡± I glance through the aisles of shelves as we walk by.


    ¡°Call it what you wish. The point remains. This is Ocana. She will be one of your guides during your stay here with us.¡±


    ¡°One of?¡± I ask nodding to the girl. ¡°Where''s the rest of them then?¡± I ask looking around.


    ¡°We switch every two days. There''s five of us on the team that was assigned to you. We will meet with you by the entrance and guide you here every morning, as well as escort you out or guide you around.¡± Her voice sounds as if it is coming from within a grave¡­


    ¡°Why the switch every two days?¡± I ask again. For a Primerian, she¡¯s ghastly pale¡­


    ¡°It is quite exhausting maneuvering through the archives, for one. Besides that, we have other responsibilities as well. Scribing and working in the kitchen, to name a few.¡± She answers with a drowned-out stare.


    ¡°So, the Archives even have their own kitchen set up?¡± Amazing.


    ¡°Kitchen, barracks, laundry, once you''re assigned to the Archives you can never leave.¡± Ocana smiles like a dead body.


    ¡°The Archives are extra high maintenance. They require delicate work, attention to detail and dedication.¡± The Master answers. You forgot the part about it draining lifeforce too...


    ¡°Tell me. Why would the Concord send only one person for this?¡± The Master stares me down, suspiciously again for the twenty-seventh time today. I was waiting for that...


    ¡°Because I am the best man for the job.¡± Say what? I hear my own voice speak. ¡°Only I know what we need and what to look for. It narrows down the search. Also, it will help sifting through the information, as well as help notice anything that may have been overlooked otherwise.¡± I don''t sound like myself...


    ¡°How confident.¡± The Master stares me down one last time. Twenty-eight¡­ ¡°Good luck.¡± He nods and leaves without me even offering a thank you.


    ¡°I was told you''re interested in Rebirth?¡± Ocana poses a question.


    ¡°Yes. Anything even remotely related to it. Anything about before the 200 Years of Darkness and well, anything else that might help. Maps included.¡±


    ¡°Why maps?¡± She asks as we walk through the shelves again.


    ¡°Geographical records can be just as helpful as Historical. The changes of the land should be noted in them, thus providing intel that may help us. I won''t know till I look through it first.¡± I explain.


    ¡°How long are you planning on staying here?¡± She asks again without turning around.


    ¡°I have six months.¡± She stops and turns to face me.


    ¡°Are you insane?¡± She asks staring at me.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I answer, holding her gaze. She doesn''t say anything else for a little longer.


    ¡°These are the records for the Existara Pre-200. Oldest to newest.¡± The girl gestures from the side of the shelf toward the end... Somewhere in the distance... Oh boy.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I take my robe off, fold it neatly and place it on the ground by the shelf.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ocana stares at me again as I sit down on the robe.


    ¡°It''s easier to move without the folds of the robe getting in the way, plus, it makes a nice pillow this way.¡± I tell her taking the first scroll from the bottom shelf.


    ¡°The maps are kept in a separate section of the Archives.¡± She tells me.


    ¡°Great. May you please refer the maps, from the oldest one of Existara, to the first one after the first Rebirth and each Rebirth up to the 200 Years, to the scribes to begin copying them?¡±


    ¡°You''re not going to take a look at them first?¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°No reason. It takes time to accurately copy a map. I''ll look through them once the copies are done. I will also need copies of Existara after the 200 Years after each Rebirth. Up to the last one, 50 years ago. I assume the cartographers here have a better handle of where each map I need is? Would you mind making the request for me?¡± I look up at the girl. She hesitates.


    ¡°Understood.¡± Ocana nods. ¡°Try not to wonder off. Neither the Archives, nor Repperi will be responsible for your disappearance should you get lost here.¡±


    ¡°No worries. I can''t afford that either way.¡± I look at her. ¡°I''ll be right here.¡± I add with a smile. She waits a moment longer and leaves. I take the next scroll...


    ¡°Why do you try so hard?¡± I hear a voice. A girl stands next to me. I feel like I''ve seen her before?


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°Why push yourself so much? ¡°


    ¡°I have a mission to fulfil.¡± I answer skimming through the book.


    ¡°There are plenty of others who can do this.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m aware.¡± I pause. No. Not it. I put the book back and take the next one. ¡°But I want to do this. It''s my responsibility.¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°Says who?¡± The girl persists.


    ¡°Says I.¡± I flip the pages again. ¡°This is important for me. I want to help.¡±


    ¡°Help who?¡±


    ¡°The people.¡±


    ¡°What people?¡± I detect a hint of resentment¡­


    ¡°The people that took a chance on me. They believe in me. That means a lot to me. Besides.¡± My eyes capture something and I feel my lips mumble...


    ¡°Besides what?¡± The same demanding tone snaps me back to reality.


    ¡°Besides. We only have one world. I want to help protect it.¡±


    ¡°Nobody is asking you too.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± I tell her. ¡°I was given a chance though and I don''t want to regret not doing something about it.¡±


    ¡°There are other ways you can do that.¡± The voice insists.


    ¡°True. But I choose this way. I want to do this. I wouldn''t be able to live with myself if I''d walk away from this.¡± The nagging tone stops my existence¡¯s interrogation. My mind slowly retracts back into the text.


    ¡°Your lunch, sir.¡± A gentle voice speaks somewhere close by. It takes me a few moments to realize the words are meant for me. I quickly snap out of it and look down. A Primerian woman is holding a tray with food.


    ¡°Food? Oh yes, of course, one moment.¡± I put the scroll on the ladder and step down.


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± I freeze.


    ¡°Ocana.¡± The girl smiles at me.


    ¡°Ocana! Right, sorry about that.¡± I take the tray from her and sit down on the ground.


    ¡°This is the fifth time I introduce myself.¡± She tells me and I almost choke on my first bite¡­ Idiot! I grab one of the feather¡¯s and stab my forearm. I drag the damn thing across, breaking the skin.


    ¡°What are you doing!¡± Ocana kneels next to me. I keep my focus on the arm. I trace the letters casting Torch, searing the name into my skin.


    ¡°So, I don¡¯t forget again.¡± I tell her shaking the arm. She stares at me. I stop breathing. Suddenly she bursts out laughing.


    ¡°There are easier ways to remember a name, here, let me show you¡­¡± Ocana crawls over to me, pushing my chest down, till my back hits the ground. She undoes my pants and slides her hand in¡­ Oh no¡­ She strokes it hard. She takes it out and puts her mouth over it. The wet warmth sends electrifying shivers across my entire body.


    ¡°Please¡­ Stop¡­¡± I mumble. Ocana looks up at me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you like it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± I shake my head.


    ¡°Is this your first time?¡± She asks quietly.


    ¡°No. That¡¯s not the case either. I have had experience with this.¡±


    ¡°Then what?¡± She squeezes the tip gently. ¡°Am I not attractive enough?¡± She persists.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it either.¡± I take her hand of my hard on and stick it back inside the pants. Damn that¡¯s tight.


    ¡°Are you gay?¡± Oh Gods¡­ I cover my face with my hands¡­


    ¡°No. I am very much attracted to women, of all races.¡± I adjust the damn thing and sit down cross-legged.


    ¡°Then why?¡± Ocana insists.


    ¡°I cannot enjoy the physical pleasure if my mind is not in it.¡± I see the confused look on her. I sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll try to explain it as clearly as I can.¡± I put my thoughts in order.


    ¡°Ok. Here¡¯s the thing. I have something I need to take care of and I only have about six months total to do it. I am already half way through that time and unfortunately for me, I have a bunch of documents to go through still. Are you following so far?¡± She nods. Good.


    ¡°Now, because I am so immersed into what I need to do, my mind is constantly buzzing. Processing the information. Sadly, it won¡¯t rest till I¡¯m all finished researching. As a result of that, I am unable to focus my mind on anything else. Still with me?¡± I ask Ocana. She nods.


    ¡°Right, because of that, I cannot enjoy something like sex. Your efforts would just be wasted without me feeling any satisfaction, which, in turn, wouldn¡¯t be satisfying for you either. Right?¡± She nods.


    ¡°If I¡¯m going to be engaging in something mind blowing and exhilarating as the bodily pleasures then I would prefer to have my head in the game. Only that way mutual satisfaction would be achieved and both sides would be happy. So, until I am able to shut my mind off from the research, I¡¯d rather not do anything else. I prefer to save the best things for last and take my time doing them. Am I making sense?¡± I ask her again.


    ¡°So, you won¡¯t sleep with me till all of this over?¡± She answers with a question of her own.


    ¡°Pretty much, yes.¡± I agree. She takes a bun and stuffs in my mouth.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s pick up the pace.¡± She climbs the ladder and continues reading the scroll I put down earlier. I cough a bit and sip some water.


    ¡°Everything that has Rebirth mentioned in it ¨C right?¡± Ocana calls out. I nod and continue eating my meal.


    Breeze puts the scroll down. Her face looks pale.


    ¡°Something the matter?¡± I lean closer. She screams out. Blood gushes out on the floor.


    ¡°ILLA!!!¡± I yell at the top of my lungs. I throw the damn scrolls to the ground. I try my best to help Breeze stand up. Glen¡¯s right next to me, supporting Breeze from her left.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± The boy sounds the same way I feel.


    ¡°The child¡­¡± Zarri whispers.


    ¡°Mistress!¡± The Cleanser gets here just as Breeze starts gasping for air¡­


    ¡°She¡¯s suffocating¡­¡± Glen says. We lay her down with her head to the side.


    ¡°She¡¯s in labor.¡± Illa tells me. ¡°She won¡¯t make it¡­¡±


    ¡°The HELL SHE WON¡¯T!¡± I roar again.


    ¡°Her body is failing! It can¡¯t withstand the strain!¡± The girl is in panic. ¡°At this rate¡­¡±


    ¡°Cut me¡­¡± I look at Breeze. ¡°Save the child¡­¡±


    ¡°Cut her.¡± I say, my voice sharp and clear. ¡°Cut her open!¡± I stare at the Cleanser.


    ¡°Illa! Get a grip!¡± Drew¡¯s here too now. More blood spills out of Breeze¡­ The girl smacks her hand down onto the marble.


    ¡°Knife.¡± She puts her hand out. Glen¡¯s right there with one of his. ¡°Hold her.¡± Illa cuts the dress right above the belly. Glen and I take up positions by the sides of the marble slab. Breeze screams out. Blood floods the table.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± I keep my eyes on Zarri. Her hair¡¯s drenched in sweat. Her face lifeless.


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± I beg the universe¡­ She screams again¡­ I tighten my grip as convulsions move her body of the desk¡­ A baby¡¯s cry reaches my ears. I turn and see a tiny, squishy thing, covered in blood¡­ A boy¡­


    ¡°Breeze, it¡¯s a boy¡­¡± I whisper¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s not over yet.¡± Illa tells me.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more.¡± Drew says. One more¡­ Twins¡­


    ¡°Hear that! Twins!¡± I look at Zarri, her gaze is fading¡­ Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t take her from me! I squeeze her arm¡­ Another cry. A girl! My face feels wet¡­ Tears¡­ Another Cleanser girl takes our girl and covers her in a towel too.


    ¡°She¡¯s going!¡± Glen shouts. I look back at my wife. The boy has his fingers on her throat.


    ¡°We¡¯re working on it!¡± Drew answers.


    ¡°Illa!¡± I call out in sheer desperation¡­ The girl doesn¡¯t answer me.


    ¡°Potions! We need time! She won¡¯t make it!¡± Erin rushes over with a few vials and forces them down Breeze¡¯s throat. She chokes. The Warr-Cleanser pulls back and tries again.


    ¡°Feed her mana.¡± I finally snap out of it. ¡°Giver a mana one! Quick!¡± I glare at Erin. Tigglia hands her few more vials with a different liquid in it. Erin quickly pours one into Zarri¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Well?¡± I ask the other two.


    ¡°Just a bit more¡­¡± Illa says. Come on, Breeze! I know you¡¯re too stubborn to go out like this!


    ¡°Done.¡± Drew lets out a sigh.


    ¡°Steady.¡± Glen nods. ¡°Too weak though¡­¡±


    ¡°Keep feeding her mana potions.¡± I give the order. No one even says anything. Odri covers Breeze with a bedsheet.


    ¡°My children?¡± I look over the hall.


    ¡°Right there.¡± Pyro points to the left. Some of the Palace maids are gently washing up the twins. The boy gets wrapped up in a clean towel and the girl brings him to me. I stare at our son¡­


    ¡°Take the children back to our chamber. Stay with them for now.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡± The girl nods.


    ¡°Can we move her?¡± I ask Illa.


    ¡°In a bit. We¡¯re having a stretcher brought here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. For safely delivering my kids and saving my wife.¡± I tell the Cleanser girl. ¡°Thank you all.¡± I bow my head. Nobody answers me. Four Noxians bring the stretcher in. We gently lay Breeze on it and take her to our bedroom. They put the stretcher with Zarri on it straight on the bed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡± I tell them. Everyone leaves. I stand next to the bed and stare at Breeze¡¯s chest. It¡¯s barely moving¡­ I look at the kids in the cradle, next to the bed. The boy is a copy of Zarri. The girl looks like a mini me¡­ I smile and place my hands on their tiny bodies¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get your mommy back to you soon enough¡­¡± I go into the bathroom and start up the fire under the basin. I get a few bowls, one for the water one for the dirty towels. I take a bunch of them out of the chest by the window. I walk over back to the bed. I throw the bloody sheet onto the ground. I carefully slip the rest of the dress off Breeze and throw it down too. I pat her face clean with a damp towel first, slowly making my way down her neck, chest, arms and stomach. I wet the towel into the warm water again and gently wipe the blood of the inner thighs¡­ Going down her legs, all the way to the feet¡­ I take a clean sheet and cover Breeze.


    ¡°Glen. Arra.¡± I call out. The two of them pop up from the shadows.


    ¡°Help me with the stretcher.¡± I tell them, sliding my arms under Zarri¡¯s back and picking her up. Glen does the same with the legs, while Arra pulls the stretcher out from the other side. We carefully lay her back onto the bed.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I tell them and they slip back into the shadows, taking the stretcher with them. I gather up the pillows and pile them up, in the middle of the bed, into something between a nest and a chair. I take Zarri into my arms and slide over to the pillow pile on my knees. I place her down slowly and check her pulse again. Steady. Good. I cover her up with the blankets. The kids haven¡¯t made a sound yet. I lay down next to my wife.


    ¡°Laira?¡± I reach out.


    ¡°Oh, hello!¡± I hear a cheerful voice.


    ¡°Is this a bad time?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± She waits. ¡°You sound terrible¡­¡±


    ¡°Breeze gave birth just now¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± I feel the excitement. ¡°Wait, she¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a few weeks too early¡­¡± I finish her thought¡­


    ¡°How is she?¡±


    ¡°Alive.¡± I tell her. ¡°Sleeping.¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness¡­¡± I feel a sigh of relief.


    ¡°We have twins. A boy and a girl¡­¡±


    ¡°THAT¡¯S WONDERFUL!! MARCUS!!¡± She screams inside my head. I don¡¯t even flinch.


    ¡°Twins?¡± I hear a manly voice. ¡°Congratulations! We¡¯ll go look for a ship first thing tomorrow morning!¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I tell the two. A cry reaches me. I smile. ¡°Looks like the kids are up¡­¡± I say.


    ¡°We¡¯ll tell Percival about the good news!¡± Marcus.


    ¡°Let me know how everything goes¡­¡± Laira adds quickly.


    ¡°I will.¡± I tell her and crawl out the bed. Both of them have their tiny mouths wide open. How can something so tiny make so much noise? I smile and try to calm the twins down¡­ Not working. I look over at Breeze. Thanks to Percy¡¯s lessons I know exactly what I need to do¡­ I take the girl into my arms and put her over my shoulder. Next, I take her brother and put him on the other shoulder. I sway side to side, making shushing and whooshing sounds, trying my best to calm them just a little before I can get their meal ready¡­


    ¡°Please¡­¡± I whisper¡­ ¡°Just a little bit¡­ I only need a little bit of time¡­¡± I keep on rocking them. I feel the girl quiet down a little. The boy too.


    ¡°There we go, good.¡± I sway a bit more and lay the twins down into the cradle. I give it a gentle push¡­


    ¡°Right, now you.¡± I look over at Zarri. I expose her breasts and begin rubbing them gently to help stimulate the milk flow¡­ I put my mouth over one breast and gently pull on the areola¡­ I feel a warm liquid squirt inside my mouth¡­


    ¡°Now the other one¡­¡± I pull on the other nipple and the same sensation reaches me. I position Breeze¡¯s arms in a crescent moon shape and get up to get the twins. I take the boy first and place him down into his mother¡¯s arms. I guide the breast closer to his little mouth. He latches on instantly. I see the little cheeks get to work.


    ¡°That¡¯s my boy alright.¡± I giggle. I take the girl and set her down next to her brother, under the other breast. I help her navigate towards it. She catches on quickly too. I sit down next to them, gathering up their mother¡¯s hair into a messy bun, right below the crook of the neck. I watch the two gorge themselves¡­


    ¡°Percival! PERCIVAL!¡± I wake up from the loud voice inside my head.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± I mumble.


    ¡°Did I wake you?¡± A soft girl¡¯s whisper asks me.


    ¡°I believe so¡­¡± I murmur again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I wasn¡¯t sure if you were asleep or at work again¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. Did something happen?¡± I rub my eye.


    ¡°Yes, Breeze gave birth.¡± It finally clicks to me whom I¡¯m speaking to. Miss Laira.


    ¡°Already! She¡¯s early!¡± I quickly jump up in my bed. ¡°How did it go? Is she ok?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She¡¯s with us still. Crile will keep me posted¡­¡± I feel an instant relief.


    ¡°And the child¡±? I ask after a moment.


    ¡°Twins. A boy and a girl.¡±


    ¡°Wow. How nice.¡±


    ¡°It is.¡± A long pause. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry to have woken you up.¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s quite alright.¡±


    ¡°Do you want us to come pick you up?¡± Sir Marcus.


    ¡°No, go straight to Ravenna. I¡¯ll meet you there. The ships leave twice a day.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. See ya soon.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, Percy.¡± Miss Laira.


    ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    My eyes pop open from a vague feeling on my skin. Arms tighten around Breeze out of sheer reflex... I don¡¯t see anything in the dark.


    ¡°Hi¡­¡± A voice. I look down and see Zarri¡¯s eyes looking at me.


    ¡°There you are¡­¡± I nudge her head with my chin. ¡°What took you so long?¡±


    ¡°How long this time?¡±


    ¡°A week¡­¡± I hold her to me.


    ¡°Why?¡± A feint whisper¡­


    ¡°Why what?¡± I keep my voice low¡­


    ¡°Why bring me back? Why go so far for me?¡± Breeze reaches for my lips with her fingers¡­


    ¡°What makes you think I do it for you?¡± I let a strand of her hair slip down my fingers. ¡°I do it because I am selfish and greedy... I want you and I don¡¯t care what I will have to do to bring you back to me¡­¡± I play with another blue strand¡­


    ¡°I promised myself back then, should I ever have you in my arms again, I won¡¯t ever let you go. If you''ll die - I''ll bring you back. If I die - I''ll come back to haunt you. The only way this ends, is if we die together. Don''t underestimate me. I will tie you up, chop you up, or throw you in a cell¡­¡± I let the words sink in¡­


    ¡°If that still won''t be enough, I¡¯ll use Forbidden Dark Magic if that what it takes to keep you by my side¡­¡± I brush my fingertips down her arm¡­


    ¡°You''re mine. I wasn''t strong enough to chase after you once and once was more than enough for me. I''m not waiting for later or tomorrow. Someday or one day does interest me. Now is all that matters. I let go of the past a lifetime ago. I have no use for it anymore. I''m done letting it suffocate me. All I want now is more of what lies ahead¡­¡± I keep stroking her arm.


    ¡°And what that may be?¡± She asks in a quiet breath¡­


    ¡°You. More of you... And all that comes with you¡­¡±


    ¡°You''ll get sick of me that way...¡±


    ¡°You ever get sick of your favorite meal? Neither do I...¡± I answer without letting her say anything¡­


    ¡°The world never interested me in the slightest. Not then, not now. I made the mistake of letting go what is mine and I won''t repeat it. Watching you gives me joy. Losing you cripples me. Having you, makes me want to live. I never get tired making love to you. That exhilarating feeling flowing through my entire body only charges me up, making me crave more of you¡­ More of us. More of a life with you... There are no dull or boring moments for me when you¡¯re near me. You don''t even need to speak or do anything. Just lay right here, next to me... All I ever wanted, all I ever needed is here, in my arms... And the cradle over there too¡­¡± I add, tickling her side softly¡­ I feel Breeze twitch lightly under my touch¡­


    ¡°When did you figure that out?¡± She asks gently touching my jaw with her fingertips¡­


    ¡°Right from the start. The very first moment I saw you shift. At that moment my life flashed before my eyes... I saw a vision of you, with a baby in your arms... That was all I needed to stay close to you¡­¡±


    ¡°I never thought you to be a believer in divine intervention¡­¡±


    ¡°I may not believe in a higher power, but I do believe we are destined to face certain challenges in life that faith brings us in order for us to grow and become stronger¡­ Perhaps that was simply a warning for me, not to give up on you until I will be able to make that vision come true¡­¡± I rest my head on hers¡­


    ¡°I see your wisdom has improved with age¡­¡± I feel the mockery in her voice¡­


    ¡°Well, you were busy being a brat, so that left me¡­¡± I feel a soft elbow try to nudge my ribs¡­ I smile. The kids let us know they are finally awake¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re up, mommy¡­¡± I wink at her, slipping out of the bed. Breeze props herself up and gets in position. I wait a moment longer before she is comfortable and hand her our girl. I see Zarri flinch at the bite. I take our boy and give him to his mother too. The little one grabs the breast with his mouth and drinks up the milk in gulps. I sit back down, cradling my family¡­


    ¡°We need to name them¡­¡± I tell my wife.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t yet?¡± She keeps her eyes on the twins. I shake my head.


    ¡°I wanted to do it with you¡­ I like the name Reina though¡­¡±


    ¡°Reina¡­ I like it¡­ How about Xander?¡± She tilts her head to me.


    ¡°Sounds great.¡± I snuggle up to Breeze and watch the kids in her arms. ¡°Xander and Reina¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they are real¡­¡± Her voice breaks up a little. She flinches again at a tug¡­


    ¡°By the way, how did they¡­?¡± She asks looking at me. My face gives me away¡­


    ¡°You didn¡¯t...¡± Breeze stares at me¡­ I lick my lips and grin.


    ¡°And? How did it taste?¡± She asks with a slightly disapproved yet amused look in her eyes.


    ¡°Delicious, of course¡­¡± I tell her proudly. She shakes her head with a smile.

 9. The Revive and the Fire

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I want more, to sleep or to bathe¡­ I¡¯m so mucky it¡¯s not even funny anymore, at this point the stench alone is enough to keep me awake¡­¡± I mumble, feeding the twins.


    ¡°Well, then you¡¯ll love what¡¯s coming next.¡± Crile smiles at me, taking Reina from my arms.


    ¡°Got some cleaning magic I can use?¡± I mock him lightly.


    ¡°Better¡­¡± He grins at me. I hear Reina burp. ¡°There we go.¡± Crile handles the baby so gently I¡¯m stunned, it¡¯s a new side of him I¡¯ve never seen before¡­


    ¡°Whatever it is ¨C I¡¯m not sure I can handle any major surprises, just saying.¡± I pat Xander on the back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll like it, I promise.¡± He says to me, tucking Reina in. I hear Xander let out a tiny belch. ¡°All good here.¡± I hand the baby over to my husband. Crile takes our son and rocks him to sleep.


    ¡°I¡¯m kinda jealous of those two.¡± I say stretching, as I slip my robe back on. ¡°And I was asleep for a week, how can I be so tired? What a pain.¡±


    ¡°You of all people should know that there is a difference between recovery and rest. Doesn¡¯t look like they¡¯ll need changing, for now.¡± Crile tells me, as he puts Xander to sleep, next to Reina in the cradle.


    ¡°Now then, Mrs. Shadowkill.¡± He says to me without looking. ¡°It¡¯s your turn.¡± Crile walks over to me, throws the blankets and the pillows away and picks me up in his arms.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what this is all about, but I¡¯m already liking it.¡± I say resting my head on his shoulder.


    ¡°Wait for it¡­¡± I hear his faint whisper, as I almost pass out in his arms. Crile puts me down on a wooden stool in our bathroom, slips the robe off me and puts me in the tub. The hot water feels so relaxing, I feel my body melting in the warmth¡­ So nice.


    ¡°Is this what you were up to in here?¡± I ask, in a lazy mumble.


    ¡°Exactly. If you would, though.¡± I feel his hand on my shoulder. I look up at him and see my husband in his birthday suit, standing next to the marble tub. I manage to pull off a questioning expression on my face and hear the deep whisper.


    ¡°I¡¯m only here to make sure you don¡¯t drown.¡± He tells me, slipping into the water, right behind me, embracing me. I lean back and feel his chest. ¡°This way you can sleep too. The kids should be good for about an hour or two.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, I could get used to this¡­¡± I reach for him, and feel the side of his prickly beard¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m kind of hoping for that¡­¡± He tells my tired mind¡­ A soothing calm, floods over me, as I feel Crile¡¯s hands tightening around my waist, right before I drift off¡­


    I hold Zarri above the water as she rests on my chest. I look out the door ¨C no sign of a fuss. The kids are fast asleep, just like their mother. Good. I check on the fire place, under the bath ¨C I hear tiny popping sounds with the flames rustling nicely. Perfect. That should last about an hour or so too. Just in case ¨C I put some more wood close by, so I can add to the fire, to keep the marble tub and the water in it warm. I pull up the towel closer in, under my neck and lean back myself. I feel my body loosen up slowly. I didn¡¯t realize how tense and aching I have been feeling these past five days¡­ I turn my head to the left. No movement. I listen to my wife¡¯s breathing. Nice and steady. Somehow, I feel nervous. This calm seems unreal to me. My body may be relaxed, but my mind is alert. I listen carefully. Waiting for something. Like what? Nothing? Anything? Something has to happen¡­ It can¡¯t be that we can be enjoying ourselves in such a peaceful manner¡­ I tighten my arms around Breeze¡¯s waist again and keep watch on the twins from a distance. I¡¯m not used to feeling calm and happy. This new life feels almost fake. I soak there in the hot water, holding my wife, as she sleeps, watching our children and just wait for disaster to happen¡­ I grin like a moron. Talk about paranoia. Guess that¡¯s a given, when dealing with a reckless idiot long enough¡­ It¡¯s like a side-effect or backlash from using powerful magic¡­ It makes me feel uneasy, this steady paced and morbidly boring life. Yet, at the same time ¨C I feel excited. It¡¯s all new and yet to be explored¡­ Finally, my mind gives in and the warmth of the water prevails, together with the calmness of my sleeping Zarri¡­


    A chill running through me snaps me out of it. Must¡¯ve dozed off... I check on the kids ¨C seems like all¡¯s good. Breeze is steady too. It¡¯s times like these I regret not bothering with fire magic¡­ I slip my right arm out of the water, take the metal poker and try my best to quietly rough up the burned wood, making more room and carefully place a few more blocks of the firewood under the tub. I wait for bit and hear a tiny roar pick up. Good. I feel some parts of my body going numb, so I try to stretch a little, without waking Breeze up. So far so good. I switch out the arms and stretch again. I watch my wife¡­ I could get used to this, huh? I¡¯m sure I¡¯m already used to this¡­ I run my fingers softly across Zarri¡¯s cheek and down her neck¡­ My eyes stop and gorge the voluptuous breasts¡­ I let out a quiet chuckle, as I remember Breeze telling me once before that a huge chest would only get in the way of fighting¡­ It was so like her to say something like that¡­ I always admired the nice curves on her body, not too much, nor too little¡­ The ass was visible from any angle. I especially enjoy the side view of Zarri¡¯s back, as no matter which way I look ¨C the curve is clearly visible¡­ She''s strong, but not muscular. I¡¯ve seen women of all races that were built almost, if not more, as sturdy as some men. I like the plumpness Breeze put on while pregnant¡­ She¡¯s always been well put together. Lean would be the perfect word to describe her¡­ A lean, mean, killing machine¡­ With those extra few pounds, she put on, she seems cuddlier now. I giggle quietly. That look suits her well, somehow. Makes me want to take care of her more¡­ Thanks to the pregnancy, Zarri¡¯s chest has grown in size too. It¡¯s a nice contrast to her usual slightly-bigger-than-my-palm sized breasts¡­ I gently trace my fingertip between them¡­ Breeze squirms and stretches, raising her arms over my shoulders. I put my hands on them and slide down to the sides.


    ¡°Did I wake you?¡± I whisper.


    ¡°Mmm¡­Naah¡­¡± I hear a lazy murmur. ¡°How are the kids?¡± She asks. I open my mouth to answer and we hear a cry coming in from the bedroom. I shut my mouth and smile.


    ¡°There¡¯s your answer.¡± I stretch as Breeze stands up to get out of the tub. The water cascades down her plumply curves¡­ Rousing. ¡°Need help?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°I think I can handle them this time.¡± She smiles at me, patting herself dry.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my time.¡± I tell her, stretching out to my full height in the water.


    ¡°There there, mommy¡¯s here.¡± I walk up to the kids. I glance at the clock on the wall ¨C two hours, on the dot. I see how that can get exhausting fast. I put the pillows back up into a fluffy throne and carefully take Xander first and place him down on the pillow.


    ¡°I know, hold on.¡± I make sure he won¡¯t roll over and go back to the cradle to get Reina. Holding my daughter in my right arm, I sit down, pull up the pillows under the elbow and get to feeding her. As soon as I feel her suckling, I scoop Xander up with my left arm and make myself comfortable. One perk of having longer limbs. I can easily hold them both at the same time. I gently place Xander near me and he does the rest for me.


    ¡°Ouch.¡± I twitch as I feel my son pulling on the nipple¡­ ¡°You are your father¡¯s son alright¡­¡± I giggle like a moron. I watch the twins as they gorge themselves. I see some of the milk drip from the conner of Xander¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Easy, you, don¡¯t rush, there¡¯s plenty more¡­¡± I feel strangely calm doing this. Most of my pregnancy I spent freaking out about how ill-suited I am to being a mother. Yet now, I can¡¯t even come up with a single reason why I felt like that. Is this what you call a mother¡¯s instinct? I smile softly at my little ones¡­


    ¡°All good there?¡± I hear my husband¡¯s voice inside my mind.


    ¡°Nice and steady. He sure has an appetite.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more than happy to take the credit for it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite proud of yourself, aren¡¯t you.¡± I glare at the bathroom¡¯s wall. Laughter reaches me from the open door.


    ¡°Of course.¡± He tells me. I roll my eyes. Reina¡¯s the first to finish her meal. She hasn¡¯t even opened her eyes the whole time either. It¡¯s been like this, since the first feeding. It¡¯s like she waits for Xander. I move her onto the pillows next to me and take the wash cloth, to clean her up a bit.


    ¡°Baby girl¡­¡± I whisper, as she grabs my pinky with her tiny hand¡­ So tiny, so weak¡­ Only for now. I look at her brother. I swear his gulps are getting bigger each day. I clean him a bit on one side and wait for him to finish. I hear Reina fuss. Oh? I turn back to Xander and see his mouth wide open. I move him closer to me and wipe off the milk of his small face¡­ He breathes deeply, almost as if exhausting himself from the meal. I put him down on the pillow nest and take Reina to the stand to change her. I¡¯m in luck. This won¡¯t take long. I work fast, as my motherly instincts tell me, the other one, won¡¯t take long to follow¡­ Reina opens her eyes and stares at me. Crile¡¯s green gaze is watching my every move. It¡¯s like I¡¯m looking at a mini copy of him¡­ I pick my girl up and nuzzle her puffy belly. A childly giggle fills the room. I give her a quick pat on the back too. Just to be safe. I hear a tiny belch and smile.


    ¡°Good girl.¡± I wrap her up and leave her in the cradle. I¡¯m a step away from the bed when Xander lets out a shriek.


    ¡°Baby boy, I¡¯m here, I¡¯m here.¡± I tell my son, picking him up. I place him in the stand and get to work. It takes a bit of extra effort, but I manage on my own. My baby¡¯s giggle soothes my soul. I see a pair of the same sky-blue eyes smiling at me. I pick my boy up and nuzzle him on his round belly. He shrieks and laughs louder¡­ I notice how clearly bigger he is from Reina.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be just as strong as your father¡­¡± I smile and wrap him up, placing him next to his sleepy sister¡­ To my surprise they are quick to drift off. I hover over them a moment longer and go back to the bathroom. I walk over to the basin and stare into my horrifying reflection in the mirror.


    ¡°When did I get so ugly?¡± I mumble washing my hands.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Crile stops his scrubbing and stares at me. I take my toothbrush and not say anything.


    ¡°Zarri.¡± I hear the nagging note. I spit out and sigh loudly¡­


    ¡°I look horrible.¡± I mumble and get back to brushing. I hear Crile laugh.


    ¡°You¡¯re perfectly fine. All you need is some food and sleep and you¡¯ll be back to your menacing usual self in no time.¡± He says. I splash the water on my face and glare at my jokester of a husband. I want to say something, but hold back.


    ¡°Let me.¡± I tell him, walking over to him with my hand out. He doesn¡¯t fight it. Crile hands me the washcloth and I slip back into the water.


    ¡°It¡¯s still warm.¡± I say, scrubbing his back.


    ¡°I added a bit more firewood. Since you didn¡¯t need my help, I figured it¡¯d be a shame to let this opportunity go to waste.¡±


    ¡°Good thinking, their fed and changed, so we have at least two hours, or so¡­¡± Claws? ¡°What are those?¡± I trace the scars on his back.


    ¡°The claw marks on each side?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± They seem old, but I¡¯m being careful still. I feel Crile twitch. He¡¯s fighting a burst of laughter. I¡¯m confused.


    ¡°Those are yours, Breeze¡­¡± I hear a nostalgic tone there. I wait. ¡°From the last time we made love¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember raking you¡­¡± I whisper¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s cause we both were so tense we weren¡¯t paying attention to anything and just kept going¡­¡±


    ¡°What about this one?¡± I trace the right shoulder¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s the bite mark you gave me when you got a bit too excited while having your teeth in me, that you turned¡­ Just for a moment¡­ It happened so fast I thought I imagined it. If you had pressed down a bit harder there, you could have taken a chunk of my shoulder out.¡±


    ¡°I feel like I owe you an apology.¡± I hug him, placing my hands on his stomach.


    ¡°Naaah, they¡¯re my trophies.¡± He gives me a quick kiss on the lips. ¡°Switch?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± I stand up, step over him and sit back down in the tub, facing my husband.


    ¡°That was a nice angle.¡± He winks at me, as he takes my ankle and gently scrubs my leg, holding it above the water. I don¡¯t say anything back. Just smile. I gaze to the window at the end of the bathroom and listen.


    ¡°Something on your mind?¡± Crile asks me, taking my other leg and pressing the foot against his chest¡­


    ¡°Do you remember when it was the last time it was so peaceful?¡±


    ¡°No. Because peaceful was never in our arsenal¡­ Calm. Quiet. But not peaceful¡­¡±


    I chuckle. ¡°Thought so¡­¡± I look back at my husband. ¡°Think I need a shave?¡± I ask him.


    ¡°You know, I am good with knives¡­¡± He grins at me¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it¡­¡±


    ¡°Come here.¡± He tells me and I move over closer to him, stalking him on all fours. I see the hunger¡­ He swallows, hard¡­


    ¡°Let me guess, this is a nice angle too?¡± I tease him, brushing my fingertips between my breasts.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you were saying something? I spaced out¡­¡± Crile puts both of his hands on my ass and pulls me to him. We clash, swooshing the water around us. I wonder down his stomach with my fingers, looking for it¡­ I feel him cradle me, pulling himself closer. I wrap my legs around his waist. We kiss. Slow and unrushed. It¡¯s almost like the time itself has stopped flowing¡­ Nothing else matters anymore. Only him. Only Crile. Only us. Right here. Right now. We pick up speed. I feel him move inside of me. His grip around me tightens. I feel Crile get more and more possessive with each taste. Each brush of the tongue, each bite, each gulp of air.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Breeze¡­¡± He moans my name and I pounce him. Sinking myself deeper into him. Gorging myself on his very life force. Water splashes around us. I ride him. Breasts bouncing, the hard, sore nipples brushing, almost painfully, against his hard chest, making me moan louder. Harder.


    ¡°Crile!¡± I scream out, breaking my nails into his back muscles, struggling to hold on¡­ I grab his neck and pull myself to him, gasping for air. I feel Crile tensing and brace myself as he explodes deep inside of me. He groans growling and hugs me tighter. We look at each other, panting, smiling.


    ¡°What a hot mess you are.¡± He tells me, sinking his fingers into my hair, locking our lips. He takes the pin out and I feel my hair fall down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me just cause you¡¯re all nice and clean¡­¡± I bite his lower lip.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m plenty dirty for the both of us¡­¡± He whispers, teasing the breasts. I giggle, roll over and snuggle up against his chest with my back.


    ¡°Hand me the damn thing, there.¡± Crile points to the floating washcloth by our feet. I pick it up with my leg, letting it hang off of it, and stretch the leg out, above our heads. The washcloth flops down making a tiny splash.


    ¡°Here.¡± I pick it up with two fingers and dangle it in the air.


    ¡°Show off.¡± Crile bites my ear, as he takes the cloth and runs it up and down across the inside of my arm.


    ¡°Was it not to your liking?¡± I ask quietly.


    ¡°It was.¡± He takes my other arm. I put the effort into stretching to my full height, with my chest purposely raised half above the water, so they get traced nicely by the water line¡­


    ¡°Now you¡¯re simply asking for it¡­¡± I hear my husband¡¯s low growl in my ear¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m begging for it¡­¡± I tell him, kissing his neck¡­ Crile runs the cloth down my arm, all the way down my side, towards the inside of my thigh¡­ A quick moan escapes my lips¡­ I feel the roughness of the fabric brush against me. He takes a breast and fondles it gently, kissing my shoulder, slowly moving up the neck¡­


    ¡°I ever tell you how much you drive me crazy?¡± A feint mumble...


    ¡°Sometimes¡­¡± I answer. Crile bites down on my neck. His prickly beard tickles me that time and I let out a laugh. ¡°Looks like you could use a shave too¡­¡± I smile softly.


    ¡°Among other things.¡± He says, running the washcloth in short, gentle strokes across my chest and stomach. ¡°Lean forward.¡± He tells me. I gather up my hair, bring it to the front and hug my knees.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I will ever get used to seeing your back covered in all these scars¡­¡±


    ¡°I look terrible, don¡¯t I?


    ¡°Not at all. This just proves you a fighter and a winner¡­¡± I feel my husband¡¯s lips land a kiss after kiss down my spine. ¡°There. That should do it. Now the hair.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± I turn to him.


    ¡°No, let me, I want to.¡± Crile stares at me and I turn around again. I feel his fingers, as they slide inside my hair, his fingertips gently massaging the skin. This is new¡­


    ¡°How does it feel? Am I pulling to hard?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, it feels nice¡­¡± I answer, almost purring¡­ ¡°Very relaxing¡­¡±


    ¡°Do me next.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡± I lean back just a little¡­


    ¡°Pull the chain, just a bit...¡± He tells me. I grab the handle of the metal chain and pull it slightly. Water cascades down the trench, pouring over us. Crile pulls my hand away from the metal handle and the downpour stops.


    ¡°Sooo rousing¡­¡± I hear a painful growl escape his lips.


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± He gazes down. I see the last traces of the soapy water rolling down my body.


    ¡°Let me try¡­¡± We switch and I end up straddling him again. I rub a bit of the thick liquid between my hands to make it foamy and sink my fingers into Crile¡¯s hair. He closes his eyes and I begin massaging his scalp¡­ I feel my heart race a moment. Am I nervous?


    ¡°How is it? I am too rough?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s great. Feels quite relaxing, just as you said¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pulling the chain, now.¡± I whisper. Water washes over us, again. I watch the soapy water run down Crile¡¯s neck, chest and stomach. I watch it race down his chiseled curves¡­ I let go of the chain.


    ¡°You were right¡­¡± I whisper. ¡°Very rousing¡­¡± I gaze at my husband, biting my lip¡­ We kiss, I wrap myself around him and he stands up. I pull the chain again, just for a quick moment, letting the water wash over us one last time before getting out of the tub.


    ¡°Make yourself comfortable.¡± Crile tells me, setting me down.


    ¡°Are you not done with me yet?¡± I ask putting down a towel on the wooden stool.


    ¡°No.¡± He turns around, holding a straight razor, with a wet towel hanging down his shoulder.


    ¡°No.¡± I turn around, with the razor in my hand and a wet towel on my shoulder. ¡°I want to do it now, while the kids are still asleep.¡± I pull up another stool, place it in front of Breeze and sit down.


    ¡°Mrs. Shadowkill, if you please.¡± I point to the area between my legs. She grins at me and places her foot on the wood. I smile too and rub the oil all over the leg, from the knee down. I take the razor and press the blade against the skin¡­ I feel the tension rise. I hold my breath as I carefully slide the blade across the skin. After each stroke, I rinse the blade off in the bath on my left. We don¡¯t say anything for a while. I hold my breath through the entire stroke. Somehow, having to drag the razor along the curves of Breeze¡¯s leg, roused me¡­ This is new and unexplored. It excites me¡­ I press the wet towel against her leg, patting it lightly. I put the leg down, and wait a moment for Zarri to set the other one in place.


    ¡°Did we ever do something like this before?¡± She asks me after a few strokes.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I hack the word out.


    ¡°How can you be so sure? It was so long ago?¡± Breeze questions my memory.


    ¡°I would have remembered something so nerve wrecking¡­¡± I look up at her, as I place her foot on my shoulder, tilting the head sideways again, and brushing the blade against the glistening skin¡­


    ¡°Did we ever bathe together before?¡±


    ¡°Maybe in a lake, or two¡­¡± I answer patting down the leg with the damp towel. ¡°Closets we ever got was probably with you giving me a shave." I land a kiss on the knee and set the leg down. Breeze gets up, walks over to me and sits back down in my lap. Oh, the torture¡­


    ¡°Give me.¡± She holds her hand out. I put the razor in it. She places the blade on her thigh and gets a few splashes of the oil on her palm, rubs her hands together and spreads it all across my neck and half way down my face. My wife pats her hands down with the wet towel that¡¯s back on my shoulder, takes the razor between her fingers and waits a moment. Breeze takes a breath and slides the blade down my jaw. I see the tension in her eyes. She takes a break, after a few strokes. Her hand trembling lightly.


    ¡°Told you¡­¡± I whisper.


    ¡°That you did.¡± She pulls herself together and continues. ¡°Though, to be fair ¨C this is way more dangerous than a leg. I can survive a few cuts on the leg. But one wrong move here and¡­¡± She rinses the blade again. ¡°Do you know why most predators go for the throat?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s most vulnerable¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± She nods, standing up and going around me. ¡°Lean your head back a little, for me.¡± She tilts my head just a little and continues. ¡°Did you know that cats are solitary creatures by nature?¡±


    ¡°Not really, but it would make sense, I guess¡­¡± I feel the blade pressing down on my skin and hold my breath¡­


    ¡°Because, wolves, for example, mate for life. The Alpha of the pack, selects a mate and they run the pack together. Cats, even after mating, usually separate, and the cubs leave the mother eventually.¡±


    ¡°How do you know all this?¡± I ask her in a whisper¡­


    ¡°Beast Druids learn things from their spirits¡­When I got my wolf form ¨C it got a lot harder not to miss you¡­¡± Breeze tells me in a quiet whisper, walking over to the basin, looking for her hairpin. I hand it to her.


    ¡°Do you mind?¡± She looks at me, waving the razor between her fingers.


    ¡°What? I can¡¯t watch? I¡¯ll be good, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Get. Out.¡± She growls at me with a smile. ¡°I¡¯d rather you not see this."


    ¡°Fine.¡± I stand up, slap the wet towel around my waist and walk over to her. ¡°Make it quick. That¡¯s an order.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord...¡± She answers. I kiss her and leave the bathroom. I walk over to the kids, fast asleep still¡­ Xander seems to be dreaming something interesting, he keeps fussing around with his tiny little arms and legs. Reina¡¯s on the other hand, puffing away quietly. I put my finger in her tiny palm and she clutches it for a moment. I stand next to them in silence, watching over them¡­ Breeze and the kids. They are my tiny happiness. The bathroom door opens and Zarri walks out.


    ¡°Why are you dressed?¡± I give her a puzzled look.


    ¡°Better question is ¨C why aren¡¯t you?¡± She comes over to me and I take her into my arms.


    ¡°What kind of a silly question is that?¡± I murmur into her ear and bite her neck gently. A loud knock on the door makes me tighten my arms around my wife. ¡°Maybe if we stay quiet, they will go away¡­¡± Another thud.


    ¡°My lords?¡± The voice of the High Councilor reaches us.


    ¡°Can I kill him?¡± I ask. ¡°Pretty please¡­¡±


    ¡°I wish¡­¡± Breeze giggles. Another thud, louder this time¡­ It wakes up the twins. ¡°Ok, now you can kill him.¡± Breeze glares at the doors and leans over the cradle. I, wearing nothing, but the damn towel still, walk over the bedroom doors and open them both up in a dramatic burst.


    ¡°I hope you are satisfied ¨C you woke up the heirs.¡± I tell the old man.


    ¡°My apologies.¡± The Councilor bows his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid this is a somewhat of a pressing matter.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± I ask.


    ¡°The Elder, wishes to see the Queen¡­¡± I turn to Breeze. She has Xander on her shoulder and her other hand has been captured by Reina.


    ¡°Right. Then let¡¯s get this over with.¡± She puts our son down and comes over to me. ¡°We shall be at the temple in one hour. I¡¯m sure the Elder can wait that long?¡± She gives the Councilor her hard stare. He nods his head and leaves. I shut the doors.


    ¡°You sure you want to do this now?¡±


    ¡°No, but I have no choice anymore. The sooner we do this, the quicker I can put the damn fool in his place.¡± She takes Reina and carries her to the bed. I take Xander and follow them. Breeze makes herself comfortable in the pillow throne. Once she has Reina set up, I hand her Xander, and sit down next to them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I could ever get tired of watching you like this¡­¡±


    ¡°As much as I enjoy it when you drool over me, don¡¯t you need to get dressed?¡± She gives me a look. I look down at the towel.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think this is an appropriate attire to wear to the Sky Temple?¡±


    ¡°Crile¡­¡± She rolls her blues at me. I laugh and go get dressed.


    An hour later Breeze and I are at the Sky Temple, with the High Councilor and Glen right behind us as our escort. The marble dome never has any light inside of it, besides the glimmering sparks that resemble the night¡¯s sky and the hole in the dome¡¯s roof, right above the altar. Or, that¡¯s at least what we call it. It¡¯s simply a few giant, round slabs of marble, stacked on top of each other. In the middle of it ¨C stands the Elder. The geezer has been alive for so long that no other tittle suits him. He turns around to face us.


    ¡°Ah! High Priestess! I am honored you chose to visit me here at the temple. I was ready to go the palace to see you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t.¡± Breeze speaks in her warrior mode. I feel a grin creep in on my face. This will be good. ¡°Let¡¯s not waste time with small talk. Tell us. What is it that you want with us.¡±


    ¡°Us? Oh, that¡¯s right. My apologies. I keep forgetting¡­¡± He bows his head ever so slightly and stares at me. Yeah yeah, give it a rest¡­ I hold his gaze. ¡°It is so rare to see a¡­¡± He pauses on purpose.


    ¡°A King? You mean?¡± Breeze¡¯s words cut the air. ¡°You must be getting older, Elder, if you have forgotten that Wykren Stardust was once your King.¡±


    ¡°My apologies, High Priestess, it has been so long since we indeed, had a King¡­ As you are aware, it has been a long-standing tradition that all rulers of Noxanda were the priestesses of the Temple and¡­¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Breeze cut¡¯s in again. ¡°Have you summoned us here only to complain about the new system that my mother has established centuries ago?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± The Elder makes a grand gesture to disagree, yet he does not approach us. ¡°I was simply concerned for the well-being of our King. Seeing, how they do not seem to last so long¡­¡± Bastard. I grip the hilt of my dagger.


    ¡°I am of perfect health, thank you for asking.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can see that¡­¡±


    ¡°Get to the point.¡± Breeze does not let the old geezer finish. ¡°If you want to know when your little Temple will be at the top of the food chain again, then I can tell you right now ¨C never. Your days of ruling this land are over, Elder. I suggest you come into terms with that. The system my mother established is here to stay, whether you like it or not. The only reason why your precious little Temple is still standing is that the Royal Family allows it. However.¡± Breeze speaks louder, colder


    ¡°It will not be anything more than a choice. People will no longer be obligated to follow your teachings. If they wish to believe in a higher power, because it allows them to sleep better at night, then so be it. But your rein is over. You, Elder, are nothing more than a Relic and so is your Religion.¡± The face of the geezer reassembles itself into a displeased look as he opens his mouth to speak.


    ¡°You dare to defy the Heavens?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Breeze holds her ground.


    ¡°Fool! How can you stand there and insult the power of¡­¡±


    ¡°The ONLY power I believe in is the one I can grasp myself. Our people are not mindless sheep that you can take advantage off! Nor will I allow you to use the women of Noxanda to do your dirty bidding anymore! Do you honestly believe nobody ever realized what you were trying to do all this time? The reason why all of our previous rulers have been women only?" She glares at the Elder. The old man''s faces slowly begins to lose the last of his composure...


    "Your hopes of marrying our Priestesses off and your days of trying to take over the world are done! This land is now under our care! Its people are now our children! I swear upon my father¡¯s memory that I will be the one to put you down should you do anything to harm our people!¡± Breeze¡¯s voice roars across the Temple. Chills run down my spine. I feel my desire for her stir¡­


    ¡°I suggest you behave yourself and perhaps you might just live another millennium... Do not underestimate a parent¡¯s rage.¡± Breeze glares at the Elder one more time and turns around. The Elder flares up his staff. A pack of Beasts and Assassins emerge from the shadows, surrounding the altar. Weapons and claws aimed at the Elder... Glen steps forward. The High Councilor dies on the inside.


    ¡°Your orders, my lords.¡± Glen speaks.


    ¡°Let him be.¡± Breeze walks away.


    ¡°He¡¯ll die on his own.¡± I follow her out with the High Councilor right behind me. I do believe the old man was holding his breath this entire time. A few moments later Glen walks out of the temple too.


    ¡°Nice reaction time.¡± I praise the boy. He nods.


    ¡°What shall we do with the Elder?¡± The Councilor asks.


    ¡°Nothing. Keep him under surveillance. He lived for too long and thinks himself of a God. So, let him be one. People are smart enough to choose what they want to believe in.¡± I tell the man.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Breeze seconds me.


    ¡°As you wish.¡± The Councilor bows and leaves us.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry now.¡± Zarri looks at me. I smile and give her my arm. She puts her hands around it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what the kitchen has to offer. Glen.¡± I look at the boy. ¡°Take the rest of the day off. You and your attack squad.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my King.¡±


    ¡°How generous of you.¡± Breeze whispers.


    ¡°You can¡¯t fool me. You¡¯re exhausted. You haven¡¯t fully recovered yet.¡±


    ¡°You noticed¡­¡±


    ¡°I know you inside and out, Breeze. Nothing slips past me¡­¡± I whisper to her.

 10. The Research Exchange

    ¡°Welcome! It''s so good to see you all!¡± I meet Laira, Marcus and Percival at the entrance.


    ¡°Same here!¡± Laira gives me a warm embrace. Marcus gives me his left hand, hiding his right one behind his back. He gestures over his shoulder. I glance over him and back at him.


    ¡°We''ll explain in a bit.¡± He says and we shake hands.


    ¡°Of course.¡± I nod. Percival gives me a half-bow and extends his hand halfway too at the same time. We laugh and I give him a tight hug. Glen and his team take care of the bags.


    ¡°How is she?¡± Laira asks.


    ¡°You''ll see in a bit. She should be done feeding them soon.¡±


    ¡°I''m nervous...¡± Percy says to my back.


    ¡°Of what? Boy you fought the Rebirth!¡± Marcus exclaims.


    ¡°I just... Am...¡± Percy crashes sideways to the wall. Oh brother... I pick the boy up. Both, Laira and Marcus have their faces covered... Nobody says anything. I carry our little Cleanser into the room next to ours, soon to be the kids¡¯ room, and lay him down into the bed. I tuck him in and go back out to the hall.


    ¡°This way.¡± I show the other doors and we step inside.


    ¡°Good to see you all.¡± Breeze speaks from behind the screen. ¡°I''ll be with you shortly.¡±


    ¡°Take your time.¡± Marcus says.


    ¡°May I?¡± Laira asks me. I nod. She walks over. ¡°Breeze!¡± Quiet tears of joy shine on Laira''s face. I take our girl into my arms.


    ¡°This is Reina.¡± I tell them, stepping out from the screen.


    ¡°She looks just like you...¡± Marcus seems rather surprised.


    ¡°Yeah, I''m so proud of myself.¡± I tell him with a stupid expression on my face. Laira giggles. I put the sleeping Rei into the cradle. Breeze hands over the boy to me too and fixes herself up.


    ¡°This is Xander.¡± I introduce our son.


    ¡°He''s a mini Breeze!¡± Marcus laughs.


    ¡°He''s proud of that too.¡± Zarri says showing herself. I lay our boy next to his sister.


    ¡°What''s this?¡± Breeze stands in place, staring at the Cornutese boy by Marcus''s side...


    ¡°That''s what I''m waiting to find out...¡± I tell her, putting my arm around her waist.


    ¡°This is... We have no clue...¡± Marcus sinks his head.


    ¡°We found him in Ravenna.¡± Laira answers.


    ¡°Percy''s ship was late a few days, there was a huge storm in Portus, so his trip here got delayed.¡± Marcus adds.


    ¡°We were out one night for dinner, when coming back to the inn, I noticed him. Just standing there, in a side alley, dressed in a potato sack...¡± Laira sits down. We too, take our places on the couch by the end of the bed.


    ¡°We asked around, but nobody knew him. We couldn''t leave him, so, we ended up taking him with us...¡± Marcus says stroking the boys head carefully. He insists on hiding himself behind the Mage''s chair. The boy only peeks at us every couple of minutes.


    ¡°The next day we asked a local artist to make a bunch of sketches of him and hung them around town. We also asked to contact us if there will be any news.¡± Laira continues.


    ¡°We asked the local post office here to keep an eye for messages for Marcus Tallen. We didn''t want to cause a commotion by mentioning the Palace or you.¡± Marcus takes over again.


    ¡°So far there hasn''t been anything...¡± Laira looks at the child.


    ¡°What''s his name?¡± Breeze asks.


    ¡°No clue.¡± Marcus shakes his head. ¡°He hasn''t said a word yet.¡± He doesn''t seem to be too afraid... He''s shy? More or less. The boy steps out a little bit more from behind the chair...


    ¡°We think, judging by his size, he may be around three? Maybe four years old? Although...¡± Laira doesn''t finish her sentence.


    ¡°The way he looks... He may be older... Simply...¡± Marcus doesn''t want to say it out loud either...


    ¡°Yes. We understand...¡± Zarri stares at the tiny, scrawny body... He looks like a miniature skeleton...


    ¡°Glen.¡± I call out. The kid pops up.


    ¡°Woah. What just happened...¡± Marcus is stumped.


    ¡°You get all that?¡± I ask Glen.


    ¡°Of course.¡± The kid confirms.


    ¡°Then you know what to do.¡± Breeze says and the kid disappears again.


    ¡°Wait, isn''t Glen supposed to be a Druid?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he changed into an Assassin.¡± I answer Marcus.


    ¡°They aren''t just mixing it up. They are switching practices all together.¡± Zarri explains.


    ¡°Wow.¡± Marcus stares at the patch of the floor where Glen was.


    ¡°What do you call him then?¡± I ask Laira.


    ¡°Marcus likes Ether. So, we''ve been calling him that for now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lovely name.¡± Zarri crouches down, keeping a bit of a distance between her and Ether. The boy hides behind the chair again.


    ¡°Can¡¯t be helped. Perhaps some food would help?¡± Breeze looks at the boy. We watch the back of the chair. Bit by bit, a horn shows itself, followed by a little face. I smile.


    ¡°Right. Arra.¡± I call out. The girl pops up in the same spot where her superior was a moment ago.


    ¡°My lords.¡± She addresses us, kneeling down on one knee.


    ¡°Would you please have the kitchen arrange something for us? The bigger the variety, the better.¡± Zarri gestures to the poor boy. Arra smiles softly.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be sure to bring it over as soon as possible.¡± The girl says and slips away.


    ¡°Laira, would you mind helping me out bringing a few tables in?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± Marcus stands up, bent in half. A tiny hand holds him down behind the chair. I smile and so do the women.


    ¡°You seem to be preoccupied at the moment.¡± Breeze sits back down on the miniature couch at the end of our giant bed.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Laira pats him on the shoulder and follows me into the other room.


    ¡°Remodeling, I see.¡± She says taking one end of the wooden nightstand.


    ¡°We want this to be the kids¡¯ room. Well, at least till they hit their teens.¡± I answer. We carry the nightstand out and place it in the middle of the room.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve been here¡­¡± I detect a hint of nostalgia in her voice.


    ¡°Would you like to look around? You guys are welcome to stay as much as you like.¡± I offer.


    ¡°We¡¯ll stay as long as it takes for Percival to recover. Honestly, it¡¯s not easy getting that much time off. We used Percival as an excuse, which, annoyed the King, of course¡­¡± She tells us, setting down the second nightstand.


    ¡°I can imagine¡­¡± Zarri says. ¡°We appreciate you taking the trouble to visit.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble.¡± Marcus shakes his head. ¡°We figured you might want to know what we found, anyways.¡°


    ¡°Although, with the twins now¡­¡± Laira sits back down next to Marcus. I put down another, smaller chair in between them for the little guy.


    ¡°With or without the kids, she¡¯d wanna know still.¡± I tease Zarri, sitting down next to her. ¡°You have my thanks for coming down here, saved me the trouble of talking her out of doing something stupid.¡±


    ¡°Hilarious.¡± Breeze says squinting at me. ¡°Anyways.¡± She turns to the trio. ¡°How is everything, besides the RRD?¡±


    ¡°Same thing, to be honest. Well¡­¡± Marcus nods to the side.


    ¡°Yes, I see, hopefully we¡¯ll be able to find something.¡± Zarri says with a motherly worried look on her. The doors open and our exclusive guard enters, carrying trays full of mouthwatering and delicious food. They set the plates and trays down on the nightstands.


    ¡°Round one.¡± Odri says. I nod.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Breeze tells them. We wait for the ruckus to leave and carefully watch Ether. The smell and the sight have made him show more of himself.


    ¡°Ether, take anything you like.¡± Zarri tells the boy. He looks up at us and stares. Marcus and Laira keep stealing concerned glances at each other. We wait.


    ¡°Perhaps we¡¯re putting too much pressure on the little guy.¡± I say taking a plate and putting a bunch of different things on it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat and see what happens.¡± Zarri does the same. Marcus takes a plate too and stacks a bite of everything on it. He carefully puts the plate down on the chair between Laira and himself. Laira takes a few things too. I hand Marcus a glass and point to the pitcher. He catches on quick and pours it half way. The Mage sets the wooden glass down next to the plate, right on the chair. We don¡¯t say anything and eat quietly. A few minutes go by and we see Ether showing interest in the plate on his chair. He takes a piece of the smoked ham, takes a whiff of it and carefully bites it down. He chews slowly. We pretend not to notice and yet everyone¡¯s eyes are fixed on the boy. He takes another piece and another. He coughs and we giggle. Laira hands him the glass with the juice.


    ¡°No rush, nobody will take it away from you.¡± She tells Ether. He stares at her with his cheeks puffed out. A moment later he takes the glass from her and gulps it down. Marcus offers to refill the boys glass. He doesn¡¯t fight it. A sigh of relief rolls over us as we see the child enjoy the meal and himself.


    ¡°Well, guess we can get back to the main topic now.¡± Marcus says with a fatherly smile.


    ¡°If you¡¯re alright with it, sure.¡± Zarri nods.


    ¡°So then, what did you find?¡± I ask.


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to explain. We haven¡¯t found the cause for it¡­¡± Laira says somewhat disappointed.


    ¡°Well, we didn¡¯t.¡± Marcus corrects her. ¡°We¡¯re not sure if Percival succeeded.¡±


    ¡°We did, however, find a pattern.¡± Laira says with a more positive note.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡± I encourage them.


    ¡°It does appear that part of Percy¡¯s theory has been correct. The Castle is alive, in a way. We confirmed that by backtracking the Battles from newest to oldest.¡± Laira begins.


    ¡°What made you choose that approach?¡± Breeze asks.


    ¡°Something bothered me when we were there. I kept catching you two talking about how it wasn¡¯t as the last time and yet it felt like something was the same.¡± She answers.


    ¡°Right, Laira¡¯s hunch turned out to be our biggest breakthrough.¡± Marcus adds. ¡°Once we started going backwards, we found the link.¡±


    ¡°Mind breaking it down for us?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Sure. This will be easier if I use the last two Rebirths, if that¡¯s alright with you?¡± The Mage waits. Zarri nods. ¡°Ok then, well, the first chamber 100 years ago was a Lava one, right? With magma eaters and all that jazz?¡±


    ¡°Yes;¡± I agree; ¡°We froze it over. Somehow.¡±


    ¡°And the first chamber for us was made completely out of Ice.¡± Marcus pauses again.


    ¡°The Castle is able to absorb the magic used and convert it into something else? Is that it?¡± I ask again.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Laira answers.


    ¡°But what about the copies?¡± Breeze asks.


    ¡°For now, we¡¯re calling it a byproduct of the magical power.¡± Marcus says. ¡°It appears the Castle adapts in preparation for the next attack.¡±


    ¡°And the next one? The Black Chamber?¡± I pose the question again.


    ¡°We burned the second chamber to a crips, it was like a cave, spikes kept falling down on us, we weren¡¯t able to manipulate the minerals¡­¡± Zarri¡¯s expression shows her lost in the past. I put my hand on hers.


    ¡°Yes, and the Black Chamber was made entirely out of burned minerals. It enclosed us so we would suffocate. In the second chamber, when you went in the first time. There were no monsters attacking you, were there?¡± Laira looks us over. I shake my head.


    ¡°That explains the lack of reanimated life.¡± Marcus nods.


    ¡°The third room was where you encountered the most of the creatures?¡± Laira asks again.


    ¡°Yes, there were Mancers and Ghouls, well, we called them Mancers, but they were more like¡­¡±


    ¡°Undead and pure skeletons?¡± The Mage cuts into Zarri¡¯s sentence. ¡°Yeah, we read it.¡±


    ¡°The fact that you suffered the most casualties in the third chamber, resulted in the surge of the undead that we faced.¡± Laira explains.


    ¡°Ok, so we confirmed the Castle is indeed alive and is able to think?¡± I stare at the young ones.


    ¡°Not think per-se¡­" Marcus takes Ether¡¯s empty plate and puts it on the table. The little guy curls up on the chair. Zarri picks up one of the blankets and hands it to Laira. She covers the boy with it.


    ¡°We believe that it is a naturally occurring process. Similar to how nature is able to restore itself with time and even adapt to changes to be able to thrive again.¡± Laira says.


    ¡°Percival was definitely right about that much.¡± Marcus seconds the Ravo. ¡°The Castle absorbs the previous magic used on it and uses it in the next battle. Like when one-time Araneum sent out an Army of mainly Hunters and their companions.¡±


    ¡°The next Rebirth had a swarm of Chimeras, Griffons and Sphynxes¡­¡± Laira continues.


    ¡°So, we have the pattern down. What else?¡± Breeze asks all serious.


    ¡°Yes. Well, there¡¯s also these.¡± Marcus takes out a jewelry box from his bag. Laira hands it to me. I open it.


    ¡°Letters?¡± I take a few out and give some to Breeze.


    ¡°Yes, our team found them in the Letters to Nobody section in the Palace library¡­¡± Suddenly Laira¡¯s face turns grim and full of grief¡­ I begin reading them¡­ Oh no.


    ¡°Our Commander got possessed. A moment later the castle began rumbling and parts of it fell to the ground. We dropped our weapons and rushed out of it, to the best of our abilities. We screamed in panic, stepping over one another, running for our lives¡­ There was no respect left. Neither for the dead, nor for the living¡­ It was every man for himself¡­ I do not have the words to describe the disgust I feel remembering it all¡­ The Castle crumbled away soon after our Commander fell. The surviving troops dragged themselves back to the city. Nobody could ever admit that we were nothing more than a bunch of cowards¡­ Nothing can prepare one for the living Hell that the Castle of Despair is¡­¡±


    Zarri holds the letter in her hands¡­ I put the papers down in my lap and pull her to my shoulder¡­


    ¡°I see there¡¯s a pattern there too¡­¡± She finally speaks.


    ¡°Unfortunately, yes.¡± Laira doesn¡¯t even bother looking up.


    ¡°Good news.¡± I say. I catch Breeze staring at me. ¡°Least now we know that the only reason there were so many survivors before, was because they ran away.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t say that changes anything¡­¡± She mumbles.


    ¡°That actually is a good thing, though.¡± Marcus steps in. ¡°This allowed us to confirm another part of Percy¡¯s theory.¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡± I ask.


    ¡°The Castle is indeed after magic.¡± He starts. ¡°To be named the War Cieftain of Araneum one must possess immense strength. In time, the magic spread and more people were able to use it. Naturally that led to the War Chieftain being also the one with the most mana and magic power.¡±


    ¡°Once the magic was extracted from them, after the possession, the Castle collapsed. Showing that its magic resource has been replenished.¡± Laira explains.


    ¡°Yes, but this time Burla got possessed. She wasn¡¯t the strongest of the bunch.¡± Zarri says sadly.


    ¡°Yes, but I do believe emotions also have a play in it.¡± We see Percival enter the room.


    ¡°Why hello there, sleep well?¡± Breeze smiles to the boy, I get up and go into the other room to bring another chair.


    ¡°Yes, thank you, I¡¯m, oh, food, may I?¡± The boy points to the tables. We laugh.


    ¡°Like you need to ask.¡± I ruff his locks a bit, setting the chair down.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Our Cleanser digs in. ¡°As I was saying.¡± He says after a few bites. ¡°Curses are based on magic power and words. Curses do not have any physical form, the basis for them are emotions. The intensity of them determines how powerful the curse is.¡±


    ¡°I thought curses need to have an item or a condition, or both?¡± I pour the kid a drink.


    ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s because the curse needs to fulfil itself. How strong the curse is, depends on the severity of emotions at the time of casting. The more negative the emotion, the stronger the curse. In Ancient times there were Curses and Blessings that used something called the Word Magic. Neither Curses, nor Blessings really have chants, they both depended on the creativity of the caster and emotions. The difference between the two is that when casting a Blessing, the caster is not, technically supposed to want anything in return for it, as they, should, ideally be simply sending their best wishes upon someone, Blessings used to be a selfless act.¡± Percival gets into his monologue tone. All of us relax. This will be a while.


    ¡°Used to be?¡± Zarri asks.


    ¡°Yes, unfortunately Blessings acquired a bad reputation because people found a way to profit from it by scamming others, that¡¯s why the practice was banned. In time they became a completely forgotten practice. Now, curses, on the other hand, are meant to inflict harm, so taking money for something like that is a lot easier. That must be why the practice for them is ongoing to this day.¡± The kid explains.


    ¡°I have to say, I enjoy your history lessons.¡± I smile to the boy.


    ¡°Agree.¡± Marcus seconds me.


    ¡°Oh, well, thank you.¡± The boy nods. ¡°Anyway, as I was saying. Because the basis for curses are emotions, I am inclined to believe that the ones who are most afraid are the ones who get possessed, as strong emotions influence one¡¯s spirit. Depending on the emotion, it can either weaken or strengthen a person.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡± Breeze says. ¡°But that only explains my and perhaps Burla¡¯s case.¡±


    ¡°War Chieftains don¡¯t get scared easily.¡± I add.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Percival holds my gaze. Ha, serious? That¡¯s some improvement. ¡°Who says that War Chieftains aren¡¯t human too? They have emotions just as the rest of us. They aren¡¯t gods. A person sometimes chooses to act a certain way because it is simply expected from them. That does not necessarily mean that the person is or wants to be that way.¡± The kid looks at Zarri, then back at me.


    ¡°I see your point.¡± Breeze smiles at the boy. ¡°Who¡¯s to say that somewhere along the line the War Chieftains didn¡¯t realize the horror and hopelessness of the situation and didn¡¯t lose faith?¡±


    ¡°That would explain the possessions.¡± Marcus adds. ¡°If they truly gave into the despair, then¡­¡±


    ¡°However, that does not explain why we saw Starlight.¡± Zarri says. The mood just got heavier¡­


    ¡°As a matter of fact, it does.¡± Percival is quick to break the tension.


    ¡°How so?¡± I ask, pulling Breeze closer to me again.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t lady Starlight in love with the Lady?¡± The boy asks us.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say for certain.¡± Zarri shakes her head. ¡°I never caught on to that while she was alive.¡±


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Either way, judging from what happened at the Castle, I¡¯d say there¡¯s a pretty good chance. See, regret is one of the strongest emotions. All of the ghost stories are based on it.¡± The kid continues.


    ¡°Oh right, like a soul can¡¯t move on to the Afterlife if it has lingering attachments to the World of the Living?¡± Marcus holds his hand on Ether. The boy continues to sleep soundly after a nice meal.


    ¡°Yes, if we¡­¡± Percival gets cut off by the twins. Breeze and I get up and get to work.


    ¡°Please, continue, Percival.¡± Zarri tells our Cleanser.


    ¡°Are you sure? I can wait."


    ¡°No no, go ahead, this won¡¯t take long.¡± I tell him.


    ¡°Right, well, if we operate on that assumption then I¡¯d say that the Celestian magic power, taken from Commander, along with the rest of it, and the regret that lady Starlight had ¨C mainly, probably, I¡¯m only guessing here ¨C not being able to express her true feelings, were enough to manifest lady Starlight during the battle. Although, there is one thing missing¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I show myself again.


    ¡°There had to have been a trigger, a catalyst of some kind that caused such a powerful reaction. I simply can¡¯t figure out what. I feel like that could help us.¡± Percival does the calculations in his head.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t Crile and I the triggers? We were Starlight¡¯s closets friends?¡± Zarri asks. ¡°Not to mention my regrets from the last Rebirth?¡±


    ¡°Well, true. However, then you would have been possessed again. Instead, it was Burla.¡± The boy keeps his gaze down¡­


    ¡°Starlight didn¡¯t want to kill her? Is that it?¡± I look back at our Cleanser.


    ¡°Perhaps. The injuries the Lady sustained were serious enough for us to handle on the spot. I would assume that lady Starlight wished to be reunited with Lady Breeze, I mean, she could have easily taken her out, but instead, she took her time going the long way around. Perhaps her true goal was to inflict enough damage, but also use the power of the Castle to fix her?¡± The kid gives us a conflicted look. We wait. He catches on and continues.


    ¡°I mean, I doubt that the same magic that brought back lady Starlight back from the dead was able to heal her. I think the Lady would have been turned into an Undead or her life force would have been sustained otherwise. That is the only explanation I can think of why lady Starlight chose to use Burla¡¯s powers. Perhaps the plan was to scare us into giving up the Commander. We can¡¯t be sure as lady Emerald intervened. But that¡¯s one way to go about it?¡±


    ¡°Well, true¡­ I guess it does make sense, if you think of it this way?¡± The Mage looks confused. Can¡¯t blame him. I am too¡­ Kinda¡­


    ¡°I appreciate you addressing Starlight as a ¡°lady.¡± Zarri speaks softly. I glance over at the boy.


    ¡°Not at all, I understand she was a dear friend of yours. It¡¯s only natural for me to show her respect.¡±


    ¡°You have our thanks.¡± I nod to the kid. He bows his head lightly.


    ¡°So then does that mean that my regret was not strong enough to succumb to a possession?¡± We hear Breeze again.


    ¡°I would think so yes. I think the Lady¡¯s resolve to fight was stronger this time. Something else must have happened¡­¡± Percival goes back into his thinking mode.


    ¡°Oh Gods no.¡± Zarri glares at me horrified. It dawns on me.


    ¡°No. Don¡¯t give me that look.¡± I turn my back to the rest of them. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have known. Don¡¯t start beating yourself up again now, after all this time.¡±


    ¡°Crile, we were the reason for¡­¡±


    ¡°Nobody is perfect.¡± I cut her off.


    ¡°Crile¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna hear it!¡± I raise my voice for a moment and bite my lip. I take a moment. ¡°If it will make you feel better, go ahead and regret it, but I won¡¯t. Ever. What happened led to all of this and I couldn¡¯t be happier about it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna hear it!¡± Sir Crile raises his voice for a quick moment. Another moment later he speaks again. ¡°If it will make you feel better, go ahead and regret it, but I won¡¯t. Ever. What happened led to all of this and I couldn¡¯t be happier about it.¡± Now it makes sense. The rest of us steal glances at each other. Nobody says anything for a couple of minutes¡­ I feel my body temperature rising. The silhouette of the Lady breastfeeding the twins stirs me... Somehow the maternal image feels to have a hint of erotica to it¡­ I feel my eyes dotting around¡­


    ¡°Percival? Are you alright?¡± Sir Marcus leans over me. ¡°You look like you have a fever...¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should rest some more?¡± Miss Laira adds. I shake my head.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m ok. Where¡¯s the bathroom?¡± I ask. Sir Crile points behind me.


    ¡°Bathroom.¡± His finger moves to the right. ¡°Restroom.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I quickly go to the restroom. Lucky me that Noxian restrooms also have a mirror hanging over the basin. I quickly splash some water on my blushing face. Damn it. That really stirred me up. I quickly do some sit-ups. Does the trick every time. I fix myself up and get back to the others.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go grab something from the other room while the Commander is busy with the twins.¡± I tell them and grab the knob of the giant door. I almost get knock down as the doors open and a bunch of Noxians enter with trays of food.


    ¡°Round two, I presume?¡± Sir Crile shows himself again from the bed screen. A Noxian girl with grey skin and pale black-ish hair nods. Odri, if I remember correctly? Six more enter the room. This is the same exclusive guard that pledged loyalty to the Lords on our way here. Only Glen is missing. The lack of the deep purple with the grey-ish blue skin is easy to notice. Some of them take the previous trays and pitchers, while others put the new ones down. They move quietly, despite having all of the trays and plates to handle. There are four girls and three guys. Arra¡¯s the second in command when Glen isn¡¯t around. She¡¯s the one with the short-cropped lime colored hair and lightly rosy skin. Next is Tigglia. The light blue skin and navy-blue hair has been tied up in a high ponytail. Pyro¡¯s been sending all kinds of signals to Miss Laira. His red died hair did not match his dark grey skin. The Miss has been ignoring his antics with ease. Messo has been quietly chatting with Commander about something. His back-combed, shoulder-length hair had been cut to chin level. Shame. The color¡¯s nice. A mix of lime and blue. It fit nicely with his light green completion. Drew uses the opportunity to exchange a few words with Miss Laira, keeping Pyro at bay at the same time. The Ravo¡¯s pale skin stands out the most in the Noxian mix. Especially with the pitch-black hair. I notice he added a few more braids to his previous three. I see Erin next to Arra. I remember the white braid and the green skin quite well. She did train under me for the two months we spent at sea. She nods to me as they leave. I smile back.


    ¡°Percival?¡± Lady Breeze looks at me. ¡°You were on your way to get something?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, one moment.¡± I step out and close the doors behind me. I go into the same room I came out of and rustle through my bags. I take the one with the giant scrolls in them and go back. I close the doors behind me again. I see the little Cornutese wake up. His tiny face lights up from the view in front of him. I have to admit that even I feel like a child again looking at all of those desserts.


    ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± The Sir asks me.


    ¡°Maps. I had them copied for me. I think I may have found the reason behind the Castle shape, at least. Unfortunately, I was not able to find the cause or anything, but I did manage to find something else.¡± I sit back down and pull out a roll. I hold it up and unravel it. I turn the map upside down and hold it out for others to see.


    ¡°Now, this is the last map before the first Rebirth. As you can see the border with the Rebellion is there already. This was about a 150 years before the 200 Years of Darkness.¡±


    ¡°The Rebellion has been around since then?¡± Sir Marcus asks.


    ¡°Apparently so.¡± I nod. ¡°You see the circle there, near the border? That¡¯s a Military base. Of sorts. It was established there to keep the Odions at bay. Over time it grew and turned into a village. Mostly consistent of army men and their families. Now, this here.¡± I put the map down in my lap and roll out a different one. ¡°Shows how the Rebellion¡¯s territory moved after the first Rebirth¡­¡±


    ¡°Cowards.¡± Sir Marcus says.


    ¡°Yes. I agree. Their territory kept advancing further off the Rebirth site each time. The difference is especially clear after the 200 Years of Darkness. But that¡¯s not the point. What I wanted to focus on is this.¡± I take another map out and hold it up again. ¡°This is a close up of the Military base. After the first Rebirth it has not come up in any of the other maps and, here¡¯s the thing. The location of Rebirth has been in the exact same place each time, right where the base used to be.¡± I see the serious expressions on their faces.


    ¡°How are the two linked? Did the Rebirth destroy the base or did the base cause the Rebirth? Which is it?¡± Lady Breeze asks me.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting to that part. Although, to be honest, I¡¯m not sure which came first. But if you would, please notice the lay out of the base.¡±


    ¡°It resembles a hill? Miss Laira says. It seems to have been in three layers? Of sorts?¡± She leans in closer to the map.


    ¡°Yes. Exactly. At the very top there was a stronghold, that the family in charge of the base occupied. It also served as a last line of defense. Plus, it had the best vantage point. Now, I assume that when the base was established, it had to be for the geographical lay out of the land that this place was chosen. There are underground streams marked as water supplies.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense. So then over time, it grew from a base to a village.¡± Sir Crile remarks.


    ¡°Precisely.¡± I confirm. ¡°Now, with the lay out and the size of the base, I say it is no big wonder, why the Castle of Despair emerges in a shape of a castle and why there are always only three chambers.¡±


    ¡°Right. That makes sense. We never did find a single record of anyone reaching all the way to the top.¡± Sir Marcus agrees. ¡°It has been assumed that beyond the third chamber lies the throne room, as it would, in a castle of that structure.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± I nod. ¡°But, here¡¯s the thing. I found the records for when the base was destroyed. Or at least some time right after it happened. They were left by Caleb Downshire. The last lord that was in charge of the village. Apparently, he acted as the commander there in case of an attack from the Rebellion too.¡±


    ¡°Downshire? Such an old-fashioned name.¡± Sir Marcus smiles.


    ¡°I thought the same.¡± Miss Laira agrees. Lady Breeze clears her throat. The two gaze away, like children. I wait a moment and continue.


    ¡°The last record, related to the base was¡­ One second¡­¡± I rummage in my bag and take my note book out. I skim through the pages¡­ ¡°Right:


    I returned two months later to find my village nowhere to be found. Only a giant crater gapped in place of it. Not a single survivor. Not a single corpse. Nothing. It looked as if the hill had been blown up¡­¡±


    I finish there. "It continues to say about several attacks on Rebellion, as it was assumed that it was their doing, however, not a single Odion seemed to know anything about what happened.¡±


    ¡°Probably because they weren¡¯t the ones behind it.¡± Sir Crile says.


    ¡°Possibly so. Either way. The fact remains. The Rebirth happens in the same place where there was human life at some point. Warriors and casters alike.¡±


    ¡°Explains the magic part, amongst other things¡­¡± Lady Breeze agrees.


    ¡°Expect the part what caused it.¡± Miss Laira says.


    ¡°Well, technically, we do know what caused it.¡± They all stare at me. ¡°A very powerful curse.¡±


    ¡°Probably. The only question is who or what was powerful enough to cause it.¡± Commander¡¯s face gives her away. She¡¯s thinking deeper¡­


    ¡°What if the Rebellion did do it? I mean we have already considered that we¡¯d need a ton of Cleansers to counter the magic? Who¡¯s to say they didn¡¯t gather up Hexadors and lunched an all-powerful attack?¡± Sir Marcus has a point.


    ¡°I thought so too. A collective of casters may have been powerful enough to wipe out an entire base of that size. However, according to the records, there were no signs of battle taking place. Not a single corpse was found in the surrounding area either. Even if the Rebellion did clean up after it all, there should have been something left¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is too weird after all. I mean, no way would Odions be that meticulous.¡± Sir Marcus looks down.


    ¡°Well, in any case, I am clinging to my theory that the core of the magic power sleeps beneath the earth.¡± I share my point of view.


    ¡°What makes you think that?¡± Sir Crile asks.


    ¡°Because the Rebirth, literally, grows out of the ground.¡± I answer and the Sir laughs.


    ¡°Sorry, Percival, I simply enjoy it when you say such things with a serious look on your face.¡± Everyone laughs. I feel myself blush again.


    ¡°Pay no attention to my idiot husband.¡± Lady Breeze smiles at me briefly.


    ¡°Ok, so, we got that part down. Now the question is how do we counter it?¡± Sir Marcus asks the main question.


    ¡°I thought about it, yes.¡± I nod. ¡°I''ll stick to the initial idea. We need a ton of Cleansers. For the curse part at least. I see no other way of breaking it...¡±


    ¡°Marching through the land with that many people...¡± Miss Laira sighs...


    ¡°I was thinking about it... What if we establish a new settlement near the Castle? I mean, provided we don''t half-ass it...¡±


    ¡°Half-ass it? Really?¡± Sir Marcus stares at me with laughter in his eyes.


    ¡°Provided we don''t fail?¡± I look around the rest of them. Sir Crile shakes his head.


    ¡°No, you got it right the first time around. We can''t afford to half-ass this.¡± He gives me a warm look.


    ¡°You were saying?¡± Miss Laira elbows the Mage, gesturing to me at the same time.


    ¡°I mean if we succeed, Araneum will probably want to expand either way. But that does not mean that we should let ordinary people live there right away. First of all, I don''t believe just anyone would be willing to live there anyways. That''s the reason why that part of Existara hasn''t been developed yet. Second of all. Since we don''t know how many troops we would need for the battle, it could work to our advantage to have some of them advance over there early. Only instead of a camp site, they could establish a base. Like the one before. Under the pretext of keeping an eye on the border, in the event we succeed, we should be able to get the funding for this from the King. I mean, this would definitely increase our chances of success. We''d have people go there in portions, easing up on the journey and providing food and shelter for the troops. Once the rest of us get there. Oh! And also! If we do manage to counter the Rebirth then we should also leave someone there to keep an eye on everything, to make sure the malice does not come back and the surrounding area is not affected, oh and...¡± I die down. ¡°What? Why is everyone looking at me like that?¡±


    ¡°We''re surprised yet again, and amazed at how your brain works.¡± Lady Breeze says softly.


    ¡°Serious. Do you like ever rest?¡± Sir Marcus narrows his eyes at me.


    ¡°Was I wrong to assume so?¡± I try to shrink myself in my chair¡­


    ¡°No. I think there''s plenty of reason to think that way. It does sound well thought out. Having troops go there in advance would give us an advantage. Cleansers don''t even have to be Military ones. We can use the base there as a way of attracting anyone who would want to help. Of course, this whole thing is a giant gamble, but having a village set up there, would give people hope that this time it''s possible to beat the Rebirth.¡± Sir Crile explains.


    ¡°I, too, think Percival has the right idea about it. I remember visiting the site of the Rebirth five years after it happened. The malice was there still. Emerald got infected. She almost died too. Having a somewhat of a Military grade watch keep an eye on things to ensure everything is truly under control is a great idea. If anything, the ones responsible for the area, should also be able to resolve any issues they might encounter or at least inform the Royal City if anything.¡± Lady Breeze agrees.


    ¡°Emerald got infected? How? What happened?¡± Miss Laira asks with a face full of concern.


    ¡°I was careless. I think she stepped on a corpse, that was hiding underground and got infected. It had just rained and the water washed away the soil. I think she cut her paw with the blade. It was a minor cut, but the infection spread. Nothing I had on me at the time worked... When Percival mentioned keeping an eye on things afterwards, I remembered.¡± The Lady explains.


    ¡°What did you do? How''d you cure Emerald?¡± Miss Laira continues.


    ¡°I didn''t. The Ancient One saved Emerald.¡±


    ¡°Ancient One?¡± Sir Marcus turns his gaze to the Lady.


    ¡°A spirit of an Animal that has been around for centuries. They grow in size over time and acquire rune like markings on their bodies. They become a beacon for the other spirits, gathering them up in one place, to keep them safe in the Spirit Realm or the Astral Plane, as it''s called.¡± Sir Crile answers the Mage.


    ¡°Exactly. I was so desperate that I didn¡¯t even notice how I ended up going into a trance. That was when I met the Ancient One. The cat told me he can save Emerald. We made a deal and that was it. Emerald survived.¡± The Lady answers.


    ¡°What was the deal? If you don''t mind?¡± My curiosity gets the better of me...


    ¡°I had to release my cat spirit and leave Emerald behind. It seemed like a fair trade. So, I did. Three years later Emerald found me again and we continued traveling.¡±


    ¡°What did you do for those three years?¡± I ask again.


    ¡°I lived with a family on the Rebellion''s side.¡±


    ¡°You what?¡± Miss Laira loses color from her face.


    ¡°That''s a story for another time.¡± The Lady waves us off. ¡°In any case, we need something to hold back the poison too.¡± Commander steers us back on track.


    ¡°Considering that cleansing the curse will require an enormous amount of mana...¡± I try to follow her lead...


    ¡°And that the only ones who can deal with poison are Temeros or Cleansers, and such, anyways...¡± Miss Laira finishes...


    ¡°That only puts Cleansers in high demand...¡± Sir Marcus nails it in it.


    ¡°Unfortunately...¡± My voice dies down...


    ¡°What if we use Vines?¡± Miss Laira asks.


    ¡°Vines aren¡¯t effective against poison?¡± Sir Crile looks at her.


    ¡°Not the ones we have now. But if we breed a new type of Vines?¡±


    ¡°Oooh. Interesting...¡± I¡¯m intrigued.


    ¡°Who would use them? Ravos or Cleansers?¡± The Lady poses a good question there.


    ¡°Both?¡± I say. ¡°If we can find the right kind of a combination to make the vines evolve or rather mutate into a new breed, then it is possible that both Ravos and Cleansers alike could use it. Plus. Vines could help us penetrate deeper into the ground and help channel the mana required for the cleansing. I mean, I assume we would need to strike as soon as there would be first signs of Rebirth. To minimize the number of casualties and it would give us a bit more control. Though, I would assume anything is possible, and letting our guards down wouldn''t be wise...¡±


    ¡°So, basically, we need an army of Cleansers and another army of fighters to protect them while they are busy casting...¡± Sir Marcus cuts in.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± I agree.


    ¡°Well, then it''s a good thing you''re here. Noxanda is the biggest provider of Vines after all.¡± Lady Breeze says.


    ¡°Ballista is just around the corner too. I assume you''ll need the herbs to experiment with?¡± Sir Crile adds.


    ¡°Oh, that''s right! The greenhouses! Genius!¡± I feel my excitement showing again, I squirm a bit in my chair¡­


    ¡°That should give you enough of an excuse to be able to extend your stay?¡± Lady Breeze glances over at Miss Laira.


    The Ravo smiles. ¡°I would think so, yes.¡±


    ¡°The disease is the part that worries me the most...¡± I realize we¡¯re only half way to resolving the issue at hand¡­ ¡°To treat it one needs a sample of it. Every disease is different. Without knowing what we are dealing with, we can''t be sure how to treat it. It puts us at a disadvantage and at risk... There''s a reason why Morbusians are so careful...¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sir Marcus looks at me.


    ¡°Well. Disease is similar to poison. It needs direct contact to be effective. However. At the same time, there is no way to manipulate a piece of a disease. It is not comprised of herbal combinations. Poison can be manipulated because the basis of the poison is the same. There are special plants used. Also, by adding some Enchanted Herbs to the mixture one is able to manipulate it. A Temeros is not simply a Cleanser dealing with poison. It can also be an Air or a Water Shaman. But that''s not the point here right now." I shake my head. "The thing is. A disease has to have a sample. That''s usually a piece of infected living flesh that is kept alive through magic, so to speak, until the sample is passed on to someone, in order to infect them and spread the disease...¡±


    ¡°I see why they call them Morbusians...¡± The Mage does not hold back his disgust.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Miss Laira agrees.


    ¡°There''s really no universal cure for it... The only thing they have in common is the living host...¡± I continue to mumble to myself...


    ¡°Don''t we know someone for that?¡± Someone asks.


    ¡°Hannah?¡± Lady Breeze answers.


    ¡°Oh.¡± I snap out of my thoughts. Miss Laira''s face looks sad. ¡°Unfortunately, lady Hannah passed away a while back...¡±


    ¡°Oh. Too bad... She would have been perfect...¡±


    ¡°Well, we can still ask for her students to help out. Or we can at least ask?¡± Sir Marcus tries to ease the sudden gloom.


    ¡°Well, you can always seek advice from Venatus. They should be able to tell you a thing or two about illness and disease.¡±


    ¡°Cornutora? How so?¡± The Mage asks the Lady again.


    ¡°Their chimeras. They only use healthy parts. Otherwise, the creatures would rot.¡± Sir Crile answers.


    ¡°Oh. Ew.¡± Sir Marcus shakes his head. ¡°Well, as long as we can get any help we can get, might as well.¡±


    ¡°I''ll get in touch with Araneum tomorrow.¡± Miss Laira adds.


    ¡°Perfect. You can enjoy your stay here with no rush too.¡± Sir Crile tell us. I feel relieved. This is the first time I¡¯m in the Old Continent, I¡¯m quite excited about being here¡­ Oh. That reminds me.


    ¡°Another thing, though. This is unrelated to the RRD, but I had some free time so I indulged in my own curiosity and found this.¡± I take out another roll and hold it out. ¡°This is a map of Noxanda from waaay back. Did you know? That your lands used to be part of Ballista? See here. All this area used to be a giant dessert.¡±


    ¡°What brought this on?¡± Sir Marcus asks.


    ¡°I have a thing for history and geography. I like studying maps too. It''s like traveling back into the past...¡±


    ¡°Percival.¡± Lady Breeze cuts in, her voice and expression stop me in my tracks¡­ ¡°Would magic be able to influence the terrain?¡±


    ¡°Percival.¡± Breeze cuts in without looking. ¡°Would magic be able to influence the terrain?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± The boy puts his map down.


    ¡°How much magic would it take to change the terrain? Would cosmic energy be able to do it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not talking about splitting mountains here, are you? You want to know if magic is able to change composition?¡± Our Cleanser¡¯s face rearranges itself into deep concern.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zarri answers. Percival takes his time. We wait.


    ¡°With enough power and time, I would say it is plausible...¡± He rises his eyes to us again. Breeze''s expression is frozen with terror.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°It''s true. We are sky dwellers... I always assumed the legend of our people being born from a fallen star was nothing more than a legend... I figured we are nothing more than some accident or a mutation, like the Cornutese people... Freaks of nature...¡± She pauses. ¡°I''ve had this nagging feeling ever since I woke up from the coma.¡± Zarri looks us over. ¡°For a while now I thought what I saw were dreams... Now I think they were memories... Emerald shared them with me before she died...¡± Nobody says anything...


    ¡°I was a Beast. I could only shift. After my possession I was able to conjure Vines and use an offensive spell... Druids are linked to Nature. There are three types of Nature. Animate, inanimate and cosmic. Beasts are linked to animals. Ravos to plants and the earth. Celestians are supposed to use cosmic energy. In theory, a Druid could possess all three types of power, since technically all three are Nature. Also. In theory, any Noxian with mana can be a Druid. Unfortunately, a Druid has to have a connection to Nature. If it''s not there then it''s not there. Now, the thing is. As a Beast I had a closer connection to the animals, but after the first Rebirth I was able to pick up hints of the other two powers as well¡­¡±


    ¡°A Noxian Cleanser is simply a failed Ravo...¡± Laira whispers. ¡°Your mother once told me that.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Breeze agrees. ¡°Percival, considering that the three natures of the Druid are somewhat connected, would it be logical to assume that by amplifying one¡¯s power any Druid could wield all three natures?¡± We all stare at the kid. Percival has that look on him again. His brain is processing...


    ¡°It would take an enormous amount, probably... Perhaps, I''m not entirely sure how it works, but, once in a trance, if the Druid should practice focusing on the other types, than what they are, then perhaps, one could teach themselves to use the other types as well?¡± He''s hesitant. ¡°What''s gotten you thinking this way?¡± The boy gives my wife a serious expression.


    ¡°Because Emerald was able to release the Celestian powers...¡± I feel the words move my lips for me... ¡°That feeling was the same when Breeze was possessed and her Celestian powers were unleashed...¡±


    ¡°Exactly...¡± Zarri agrees. ¡°What if each of us have that power... Dormant inside of us¡­ What if each of us can be a Celestian?¡±


    ¡°What makes you think that?¡± Marcus asks carefully...


    ¡°That.¡± Zarri points to the map of Noxanda from ages ago. ¡°The fact that our land used to be a dessert. Same as Ballista...¡±


    ¡°Do you believe that the cosmic power could have transformed a barren dessert into prosperous woods, rich with food and life?¡± The Mage stares at the map than back at Breeze.


    ¡°Yes. If we base it on the legend. It says that stars came falling down from the night sky one after another... It doesn''t say how many of them fell, but it had to be enough to establish a settlement...¡± Zarri explains...


    ¡°With that much cosmic energy, which is said to be the most powerful type of magic...¡± Percival cuts off his own thought... Breeze continues.


    ¡°The battles between us and others were all due to the fertile soil and the wild life, which overrun the land... The Balli wanted the land to feed their people. The Cornutese wanted the land to hunt... The Primerians were the only ones who didn''t fight with us...¡±


    ¡°That''s ¡®cause we believe it is too tedious and barbaric...¡± Percival answers.


    ¡°I''m cool with it.¡± Marcus shrugs his shoulders. Laira giggles with her shoulders only, not making a sound.


    ¡°True. They were also the ones to teach us how to fight... Amongst other things...¡± I add.


    ¡°The problem is, our people never wanted anything except to live peacefully... It took a lot of effort, but we managed to achieve a truce with both sides. Noxanda''s territory is not even that big, when compared to the other nations. We live longer, we don''t need that much space. We gave up pieces of our land for the sake of peace...¡± I explain.


    ¡°That would also explain the marble...¡± Laira doesn''t raise her head off Marcus''s shoulder.


    ¡°The marble?¡± The Mage asks.


    ¡°Yes. Noxanda''s biggest trading commodity. The Marble Mines are the biggest income source for us...¡± I answer again.


    ¡°Each Noxian carrying the powers of a Celestian...¡± Laira mumbles again...


    ¡°That''s great! Isn''t it?¡± Marcus exclaims and quickly dies down. Zarri''s face is sheer horror...


    ¡°That''s terrible... If and, oh gods, I hope I am wrong, if every Noxian is carrying that kind of power within themselves without even realizing it... Imagine what would happen should the outside world find out? An entire nation of ticking powerhouses, strong enough to wipe out the whole Castle of Despair if not more... We would be feared and hunted. Slaughtered. Nobody would ever wait for our promises or explanations... Noxians are already resented because of our longevity... I refuse to give the world another reason to despise us.¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry, Commander, my lips are sealed.¡± Percival holds his gaze.


    ¡°Same here.¡± Marcus agrees.


    ¡°Appreciated.¡± Zarri and I both nod...


    ¡°If you figured it out, then...¡± Laira''s voice does not want to finish that sentence...


    ¡°Then someone else can too...¡± I finish it for her...


    ¡°What will you do?¡± Marcus asks.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Zarri''s in her Queen mode now. ¡°We''ll cross that bridge when we''ll come to it. For now, this will be a secret for the Members of the Royal family to guard.¡± A hungry cry cracks the tension.


    ¡°Speaking of.¡± I stand up and go over to the cradle. Both are in full swing. Breeze makes herself comfortable in the pillow throne, on the bed. I take Rei and bring her over to her mother. Zarri takes her and lays her in position. I go back and take Xan, the cries stop as soon as Xander gets in front of his mother''s chest.


    ¡°Don''t mind us.¡± Breeze says. The evening sunlight, coming in through the arch windows is hitting the bed just enough to cast a shadow of the three of them on the bed screen... Percy''s face turns the color of boiling flesh. I smile. His embarrassment is showing again.

 11. The Talk and the Pledge

    I¡¯m surprised how cheerful everyone is this morning. Despite last night¡¯s discussion. I settled down for breakfast and watch them. I don¡¯t know why exactly, but since the first time I approached Lady Breeze, back at the ship, I have always felt at ease around her. Regardless of how nerve wrecking the interrogation was.


    ¡°Has there been any word?¡± Sir Crile asks Glen.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. We¡¯ve expanded the search. I had some of our men set out to the border of Cornutora, as well as their Capital. I understand our guests will be staying with us for a bit longer. It¡¯ll allow us more time, we¡¯re bound to find something, regarding young Ether.¡±


    ¡°Good job.¡± The Sir praises the guard.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Glen nods and leaves the room the same way he entered ¨C through the shadows. Meanwhile the rest of the guards go out the old-fashioned way ¨C through the door.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me I¡¯m holding you up?¡± The Lady steps down to join us after finishing feeding the twins.


    ¡°Not really.¡± Sir Marcus shrugs his shoulders.


    ¡°Enjoy.¡± Sir Crile gestures to our morning feast. Well, lunch, to be fair, we ended up talking longer than expected last night. As well as sleeping in nicely.


    ¡°Now then, where did we finish last night again?¡± Miss Laira asks helping Ether with his plate.


    ¡°Before that. I wanna know what is up with this.¡± The Mage grabs my hand and pulls the sleeve up. The mark gets exposed to the fullest.


    ¡°Damn, Marcus beat me to it. I¡¯ve been wanting to ask that too.¡± The Sir mocks me.


    ¡°I figured he¡¯d tells us himself, but seeing how easily he gets side-tracked¡­¡± Not miss Laira too¡­


    ¡°Well?¡± Lady Breeze stares at me softly.


    ¡°It¡¯s the name of the guide who helped me in the Archives.¡± I slip out of the Mages grip and fix my sleeve. ¡°Apparently, it was the fifth time she introduced herself to me¡­ I kept forgetting her name¡­¡± I feel my face burn up and gaze down into my feet. Please let the earth open and swallow me whole like now¡­ Pretty please¡­ I hear laughter. Pretty please¡­


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡­¡± Sir Crile¡­


    ¡°Was there really no other way?¡± Miss Laira¡­


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t think of anything better at the time¡­¡± I confess¡­


    ¡°Somehow, I¡¯m not surprised.¡± Huh? I look up. The Lady smiles at me. ¡°It¡¯s very, how to say this, Percy like.¡±


    ¡°Unconventional you mean.¡± The Sir corrects her.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± She agrees. I feel the tension ease up on my body. I straighten out.


    ¡°Anyways, we were discussing the trip to Ballista. Speaking of which. I¡¯m surprised that all this time Ravos have been using only one type of Vines.¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it yeah, why hasn¡¯t there been any that can cure poison or something?¡± Thank you, sir Marcus.


    ¡°I guess because the Vine practice is fairly new. Well, for a Noxian lifetime, anyways.¡± Miss Laira answers.


    ¡°Our Druids have been experimenting with a bunch of different plants, trying to find a way to contribute to the people and the world. Our predecessors worked hard to find a way to be useful and Vines were the product of that effort. They say they even tried to use their connection to Nature to speed up the growth of the crops. However, that was a huge failure.¡± Lady Breeze explains. ¡°So, we stuck to the Vines and perfected their medical application.¡±


    ¡°Do you know why they failed to speed up the growth of the crops and such?¡± I ask.


    ¡°We are able to force the plant to sprout, from the seed. However, once the mana runs out ¨C the seed dies. It¡¯s lifeforce is not enough to sustain the magic.¡± Miss Laira answers me. Hmm¡­


    ¡°Oh no, he¡¯s thinking again.¡± I hear a voice.


    ¡°Percival?¡± A male voice. A deeper one this time. I feel a nudge. Miss Laira¡¯s hand is on my shoulder.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I look around.


    ¡°We lost you there for a moment, didn¡¯t we.¡± Sir Crile holds my confused gaze.


    ¡°Ah, yes, I may have thought of something¡­ Now¡¯s not the time. So. As suggested yesterday, we should travel to Ballista to seek aid with growing the new Vines. If I may, how are the Vines different from other herbs and plants?¡±


    ¡°We have Cleansers purifying the seeds of the regular healing herb, that¡¯s mostly used to treat flesh wounds. However. We grow them in an extremely controlled environment, to prevent contamination. Once the Vines grow to a certain size, they are harvested, together with the pure soil, they were grown in, and then are kept alive through mana. The thing is, as Breeze mentioned yesterday, Vine manipulation is only possible for Druids because of our connection to Nature. We see the plants differently. That¡¯s the difference between us and say Earth types.¡± Miss Laira explains it to me again. ¡°It is similar to how Mages see their Force of Choice.¡± She adds quickly.


    ¡°About that. Marcus, would you mind indulging us there, I have to confess, I¡¯ve always been curious about that.¡± Commander says.


    ¡°Sure, no problem. See for Mages it¡¯s not about picking our attribute, it¡¯s more like it picks us. Mages are born with an affinity. We are able to see our Force of Choice. That¡¯s why we can manipulate it. Of course, it¡¯s a tad different in my case.¡± Sir Marcus smiles.


    ¡°Is it because of your Reflector ability?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Yup. The Mage nods. My vision resembles a kaleidoscope. It¡¯s a bunch of different tiny lights sparkling inside my head.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever considered using the herbs? For your spells I mean? You know? Like a Shaman?¡± I ask sir Marcus.


    ¡°I thought that using herbs for the four elements is considered to be wasteful?¡± Sir Crile asks.


    ¡°For Shamans yes. But for a Reflector this would give an upper hand. It could allow Sir Marcus to kick start a spell himself when going up against another Mage or even provide defense against a different opponent. I mean Shamans are only considered Shamans after undergoing the Overtake challenge. Essentially Shamans are merely a more advanced form of a Mage, since using herbs allows the Shamans to add that little something extra to their spells. However. There are only so many forces that the herbs can be added to. I mean you can''t infuse rock with herbs, so. Any Earth Mage can become a Shaman just by obtaining Overtake. Although, as Tonso explained it, it''s easier said than done. That''s the only reason why Earth Shamans never use any herbs for their casting. I think that Sir Marcus is in the perfect position here. The Reflector''s biggest drawback is being unable to cast any spells themselves, but what if you add the Shaman ability? It''s not the same as the exclusive birth rights that Druids or Necromancers have. Although, we still haven¡¯t found out why or what is needed for one to be a Mancer...¡± I shake my head. ¡°Never mind. Point is. Anyone can learn it. I did. I learned a lot from Burla. It''s quite simple once you get the hang of it. The only problem is the practical application in stressful situations. Especially during battle. I found out that the hard way myself. It proved to be quite difficult to be going back and forth between the herbs and all that. But in any case. I believe it may be worth your while and why is everyone looking at me that way? Did I say something stupid again?¡± I stare at the four pairs of dumbfounded eyes, glaring at me.


    ¡°Percival! You SON OF A GENIUS!!¡± Sir Marcus jumps me. I stagger in my chair. Totally lost. ¡°I could kiss you right now! Can I kiss him?¡± He looks at Miss Laira. ¡°Imma kiss him!¡± He turns back to me.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t!¡± I push his face away from mine.


    ¡°Come on! Pucker up, you clever devil!¡± The Mage persists. Laughter fills the royal bedroom.


    ¡°I''d rather not. Truly. I prefer women. No offense.¡± I push the roused mage off myself. He laughs loud.


    ¡°I am at a loss for words.¡± Miss Laira continues to stare at me without blinking.


    ¡°How did I never think of this!!¡± Sir Marcus finally sits back down in awe.


    ¡°How did nobody ever think of this?¡± Lady Breeze shakes her head.


    ¡°Leave it to the boy wonder.¡± Sir Crile laughs. ¡°Here I thought nothing can surprise me anymore.¡±


    ¡°Percival. I don''t have the words to express my gratitude.¡± Sir Marcus nods to me.


    ¡°I haven''t done anything...¡± I look down and notice little Ether hiding under the table. Guess the sudden commotion scared him. I gesture to him to come out. He thinks about it and crawls out. Miss Laira takes a napkin and wipes off his little hands. The boy goes back to his meal, keeping an eye on the Mage still¡­ Meanwhile Sir Marcus finishes cooling off in his chair.


    ¡°You''ve given me hope.¡± The Mage looks all serious at me. ¡°Finally! For over two decades I have been beating myself up for being utterly useless on my own! Finally, I have something tangible to work for! Laira is my reason for fighting, but now! Thanks to you I''ll have the means to protect the things precious to me too! Thank you! Truly.¡± Sir Marcus bows his head to me one more time, before taking miss Laira''s hand and kissing it, with tears in his eyes. I want to say something, yet I find myself struggling for words¡­ Someone say something, please¡­


    ¡°Well then, here¡¯s another reason for you to visit Cobalus. The herbs bought there are much cheaper, compared to Astri or Araneum.¡± Lady Breeze comes to my rescue.


    ¡°We should decide on your trip. I figured Laira and Percival would be enough. I assume it may be a bit too much for the young Ether.¡± Sir Crile takes over.


    ¡°Well, yes, I actually was leaning towards the same idea.¡± Miss Laira agrees.


    ¡°On the other hand, nobody¡¯s telling you to leave first thing tomorrow. You may speak with the locals here first then decide.¡± Commander adds.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°I would think so too.¡± I finally speak again.


    ¡°Perfect. Maybe seeing the Vine growth in process will inspire you for something.¡± Sir Crile winks at me. Warmth floods my blood and I nod, with my eyes to my feet.


    ¡°OH! That''s right, thanks to Percy''s arm I remembered! How was the wedding?¡± Miss Laira asks


    ¡°There was no wedding.¡± The Lady answers.


    ¡°We made a public announcement for becoming the King and Queen¡­¡± The Sir stops mid-sentence.


    ¡°You make it sound like it was no big deal and yet you made one Hell of a statement.¡± A voice reaches us from the open door. A divine figure stands in the doorway. Pale blue skin with long white hair... The Priestess! I quickly jump off my chair and bow. So does Sir Marcus.


    ¡°Lady Devona!¡± Miss Laira walks over and hugs the Priestess. I carefully raise my eyes. A man stands behind the woman. Dark blue skin with a dark grey short crop and deep green eyes... He doesn¡¯t look any older than Sir Crile. But the vibe the Noxian gives off has a hint of seasoned vet in it...


    ¡°Good to see you, child.¡± The Priestess greets the Miss.


    ¡°You''ve grown quite beautifully, Laira.¡± The man hugs the Miss as well.


    ¡°Whereas you haven¡¯t changed a bit, Sir Ira.¡± She hugs him too. Sir Marcus and I straighten out and continue standing still.


    ¡°No need for ceremony.¡± The Priestess waves us off. ¡°We''re all family here.¡± Royal! Royal family!


    ¡°I see the tiny one is unsure of us.¡± The woman says looking at Ether, hiding behind the Mages chair, yet again...


    ¡°It takes him a bit to warm up...¡± Miss Laira explains.


    ¡°So we hear.¡± The Priestess does not push the matter on the boy further and continues acting as if the little Cornutese is not even there, to ease the pressure on him. Sir Ira does the same, although the eyes give his concern away. A warm smile flashes on his face as he redirects his gaze over to Sir Marcus.


    ¡°Am I to understand this is the infamous Primerian who stole our little Lairy?¡± Lairy? I steal a glance over my shoulder. The Lady has a coy smile on her.


    ¡°Please, I''m not a child anymore.¡± Miss Laira blushes lightly. Sir Marcus freezes in place. I think he forgot how to breathe...


    ¡°Sir Ira. It''s an honor to meet you.¡± The Mage finally snaps out of it and bows again.


    ¡°Percival, Marcus, meet my self-proclaimed father.¡± Sir Crile says to our backs. Say what now?


    ¡°It''s truly an honor, Sir.¡± I bow too.


    ¡°Ever the brat.¡± Sir Ira says.


    ¡°I learn from the best.¡± Sir Crile mumbles. Ok then...


    ¡°Now then, back to business.¡± Sir Ira stares our Mage down. The young man holds his ground.


    ¡°What makes you think you are good enough for our Missy here?¡±


    ¡°I''m not. I''m fully aware I''m not good enough.¡± Sir Marcus answers. ¡°Even my life span is not good enough.¡± He pauses again. ¡°However. Because of it. I will love her and care for her like there''s no tomorrow. I may be only a fraction of her life, but she is my entire to me and I will do my damnest to make her happy.¡± I was not prepared for something like this. Nobody says anything.


    ¡°If you would allow a selfish act of a fool in love. I ask that the both you give us your blessings, to live a long and happy life.¡± Sir Marcus kneels in front of the royal couple.


    ¡°Is he always like this?¡± The Priestess asks.


    ¡°He kneeled for Emerald too. Twice.¡± The Lady answers teasingly. Sir Ira laughs. He puts his hand on the Mage''s shoulder. The man looks up.


    ¡°You''ll do just fine, kiddo.¡± The Noxian say with a fatherly smile. The Mage stands up.


    ¡°May the Stars shine upon you.¡± The Priestess bows her head to the Mage.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Sir Marcus nods and turns to the Miss. She''s doing her best to hold back the tears as she stands there in awe.


    ¡°Would you like to join us?¡± The Lady stands up, approaching Sir Ira for a hug.


    ¡°Naah. We won''t be long.¡± He smiles. ¡°Simply wanted to say hello to another lost lamb of ours.¡± He winks ant the Miss.


    ¡°How are they?¡± The Priestess approaches the cradle.


    ¡°Just perfect. They eat well and sleep well too.¡± The Sir answers.


    ¡°Happy to hear.¡± The Lady''s mother gazes at the twins for a moment longer. Sir Ira leans in over the shoulders of the two women.


    ¡°I can''t believe it. You managed to do a great job after all, Cri.¡±


    ¡°Don''t call me that.¡± The Sir growls. The Mage holds back his laughter.


    ¡°Is the boy wonder always this shy?¡± Sir Ira looks at me.


    ¡°I''m pretty sure you¡¯re too intimidating.¡± The Priestess answers him, turning around. She walks over to me. I feel my heart pulsing inside my chest.


    ¡°You have my gratitude.¡± She bows her head. ¡°Thank you for bringing my child back to me, alive.¡± She raises her eyes again. I manage to nod only.


    ¡°Always.¡± I hear my voice let out a single word.


    ¡°Who''s here intimidating again?¡± Sir Ira mocks the Priestess and winks at me now. I smile.


    ¡°Don''t disappoint them.¡± Sir Ira tells his son, as he walks out the room.


    ¡°It''s been a pleasure to meet you all.¡± The Priestess smiles to us before leaving the chamber as well.


    ¡°Stop by anytime.¡± Lady Breeze tells them as the doors close shut again.


    ¡°Cri?¡± The Mage does not waste a moment.


    ¡°Call me that again and I''ll break your jaw.¡± Sir Crile answers.


    ¡°Roger that.¡± Sir Marcus nods. ¡°Does that go the same for Lairy?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn''t take it that far." The Miss smiles. "It''s been forever since he called me that...¡± A nostalgic note slips its way in the Miss¡¯s voice¡­


    ¡°I can call you that, if you want me to.¡± The Mage winks at her.


    ¡°No thanks, I feel like if you called me that you''d just be making fun of me.¡± Miss shakes her head.


    ¡°Who? Me? Naah... Ok, maybe a little bit.¡± The Mage confesses. Light laughter rolls over us.


    ¡°Sir, may I ask?¡± I look at Sir Crile.


    ¡°He took me in, raised me and taught me everything I know, as well as give me his last name. He also always makes a point to mock me or insult me whenever he can. Can''t say we''re particularly on perfect terms, but I do trust and respect the man, even if I can''t stand him most of the time.¡±


    I smile. It was an obvious question, after all... ¡°Thank you for your honest answer.¡±


    ¡°Well, that explains the slight tension.¡± Sir Marcus agrees.


    ¡°Ira has been a father figure for us all, really. He''s the best friend of the late Sir Vykren.¡±


    ¡°Breeze''s dad?¡± Sir Marcus asks.


    ¡°Wait, I thought Sir Ira...¡± I carefully look over at the Lady. She shakes her head.


    ¡°My father died a week before I was born.¡±


    ¡°My condolences.¡±


    ¡°It''s ok, Percival. Thank you though. I agree with Laira. Ira has been the closest thing I ever knew to a father. I am grateful to him for making the effort for someone who''s not even his...¡±


    ¡°It seems to be a habit of his...¡± Sir Crile mocks his father.


    ¡°Regardless of your personal opinion, we like him.¡± Lady Breeze says. The boy finally decides to come around from behind the Mages chair. Ether crawls into the Miss¡¯s lap and falls asleep after a few strokes of her hand.


    ¡°I wish they would have stayed a bit longer though.¡± Miss Laira sighs.


    ¡°You''ll see them again. Since they''re happily retired now, they spend a lot of time lazing around.¡± Commander answers. ¡°Especially if you''re staying longer.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good.¡± The Miss smiles.


    ¡°Sooo, where were we again?¡± The Mage reminds us of the original topic of this gathering.


    ¡°The trip to Vine-yards and Ballista.¡± The Sir answers.


    ¡°Right. Breeding new type of Vines...¡± The Miss seconds


    ¡°About that. I was thinking. Can''t we use Ravos to simply use the herbs instead of Vines?¡± Sir Marcus asks again.


    ¡°I wish. Unfortunately, the Enchanted Herbs used for Shamans are imbued with mana after harvesting and preparing them. The quality of the Enchanted Herbs is based on how long it took to make them. The longer it takes to infuse them with mana the pricier they are. As a result of that, their effectiveness is also determined the same way. Without the enchantments on the herbs - the plant itself is nothing more than another piece of everyday garden variety weed.¡± I answer.


    ¡°Ah, shoulda figured it wouldn¡¯t be that easy...¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, the only reason why I am able to manipulate poison is because the Enchanted Herbs have been made mandatory for all poison. It is truly the herbs I am manipulating, not the poison itself. Apparently, it''s an old tradition that was established by the Shamans long ago. Burla taught me that.¡± I explain.


    ¡°She was from a family of Shamans, wasn¡¯t she?¡± The Lady asks me.


    ¡°Yes. She was well versed in the History of it. Well. As much as she had learned from her parents before their untimely demise.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Miss Laira averts her gaze. Throughout our ordeal with the Rebirth, there was always tension between her and Burla. I never figured out why though... But now I feel like the miss might have some lingering regret...


    ¡°How does your poison manipulation work, exactly? As far as we know, Temeros are the only ones who can manipulate the state of the poison.¡± Sir Crile asks me.


    ¡°Oh yes. There is a chant for that. The more mana I use when casting it, the closer together the herbs come together, making it look like the poison has hardened. If I''m more lax with the casting, the herbal dust won''t be able to bind that tightly and it will appear as gas.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re supposed to use the herbs to make the poison then how do you explain liquid poison?¡± The Mage asks.


    ¡°We still use herbs for that. It''s either mixed into the liquid. Or slowly seeped into it and filtered out. The Sir answers.


    ¡°Exactly. Because of that, the qualities of the herbs get mixed in and are fused together. So even if there are no actual herbs in the poison that is being used, say on the blade, the qualities remain nonetheless, hence why I can manipulate it. For instance. I can make a dust cloud spread out and make it look like gas with the help of the chant. But if the dust gets into contact with water, it will turn into a poisonous mist.¡± I take over with my explanation.


    ¡°Makes sense.¡± Sir Marcus agrees. ¡°So, without the herbs the poison would only be plain poison? You wouldn''t be able to manipulate it?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡± I nod. ¡°In that case only the antidote would work.¡±


    ¡°I don''t know what¡¯s more a pain in the ass. The magic poison or the plain one?¡± The Mage thinks about it.


    ¡°Well, either one is troublesome. The magic one allows you to even make weapons out of it. Death Bringers love using them as such for close combat. As it does not require a different weapon, but it does need skill with casting. But at the same time - it can be removed from the system without an antidote, if treated on the spot. Old fashioned poison is not as creative in uses, but it is more difficult to treat.¡± I explain. ¡°See this is quite similar to how Earth Shamans in Ballista are able to manipulate sand - hardening it and such. Water conversion to Ice requires an additional force, which is the change of temperature, as it happens in nature, of course, through the help of mana it is possible to covert one into the other. Not the point. I mean¡­¡±


    ¡°You mean to say that Earth and its byproducts are easier to manipulate in regards to their structure since there is no need for change in the composition.¡± The Sir finishes it for me.


    ¡°Exactly. Although, even after Overtake Shamans are unable to turn ground into sand and vice versa. They can make a decent density brick from a pile of sand that will rival the hardness that of a stone one, yet it will be a brick of sand still. With enough water it will weaken.¡±


    ¡°If that kind of a manipulation was possible it would be too easy...¡± The Mage sighs.


    ¡°After all, it would be going against Nature itself.¡± The Lady adds.


    ¡°So anyways, we need mana for the curse. A cure for the disease, which we can¡¯t make. And a way to hold the poison at bay? Which we may not be able to do, or rather it too needs a continuous casting, like the cleansing of the curse? Is it just me or does this sound nearly impossible?" Sir Marcus says looking at the marble ceiling¡­


    ¡°We''ll take it one step at a time.¡± The Lady says.

 12. The Vines and the Herbs

    Miss Laira and I set out a few days later. Everyone sees us off by the Palace. Little Ether seems troubled...


    ¡°Ether;¡± the Miss crouches down by the boy; ¡°I''ll be back soon, don''t worry, ok?¡± The little one hesitates and lunges in for a hug. Somehow that tugs at my heart strings...


    ¡°I''ll take good care of him, don''t worry.¡± Sir Marcus says, patting the boy¡¯s head.


    ¡°I know.¡± The Miss nods.


    ¡°We all will take care of him.¡± Sir Crile reassures the Druid.


    ¡°Oh, I have no doubt he''ll be spoiled.¡± She laughs. ¡°Right, we should get going then.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± I agree. ¡°See you later.¡±


    ¡°Have a safe trip.¡± The Lady waves at us. The Miss and I get into the carriage and set off.


    ¡°Worried?¡± I ask her after a little while.


    ¡°Somewhat...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re getting attached to the little boy, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what worries me... I know that finding his parents would be the best thing for him, but...¡± She doesn¡¯t finish.


    ¡°But you¡¯re leaning toward the idea of wanting to keep him and raise him yourself?¡±


    ¡°I feel like a thief...¡± The Miss says. I giggle.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t though. We can¡¯t be sure that he would be better off with his relatives, if there are any in the first place. Sometimes blood relations aren¡¯t the best thing for a person...¡± I bite my tongue.


    ¡°Yes. I''m aware...¡± The Miss agrees with a sad expression on her face. ¡°I¡¯m simply torn over this.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I can help to distract you in the meantime?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°Sure. How about you tell me more about yourself. I''d like to know how the boy wonder came to be.¡± She finally smiles at me.


    ¡°Have you always been this fatherly?¡± I ask Marcus, watching him put Ether to bed.


    ¡°I can ask you the same.¡± He throws me a look. I laugh under my breath.


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°I did have a sister, once. Long ago...¡± He whispers.


    ¡°Did?¡±


    ¡°She got sick and died. The quack healer was more interested in booze than actually doing his work. He gave her the wrong meds. By the time we realized it, it was too late...¡± He backs away from the bed. ¡°I left my village after that.¡±


    ¡°My condolences.¡±


    He shakes his head. ¡°I blame myself. Should have done more for her when I had the chance...¡±


    ¡°Is that way you¡¯re so careful with him?¡± I ask pouring a drink.


    ¡°Perhaps.¡± He takes the glass from me. ¡°Thank you. Although, if I have to be completely honest, I¡¯m pretty sure you two are to blame for this.¡± He gives me a stupid grin. I raise an eyebrow.


    ¡°I watched the two of you back at the cabin. The vibe you gave off was so different from what I¡¯ve seen before... Especially after we found out that Deathbreeze was pregnant... Watching you guys from up close made me rethink a few things about my life...¡±


    ¡°This feels like a confession.¡± I take a sip of my drink. The Mage laughs.


    ¡°Yeah. In a way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I should apologize to you or say you¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ¡°Both.¡± Marcus says with a sad smile.


    ¡°You can always leave her, you know. I¡¯m sure she''ll understand.¡± I tell him.


    ¡°I thought about that.¡± He admits. ¡°But what I want more than anything is her... She''s not a child. She doesn¡¯t need me looking after her. A child, however... I¡¯d hate to leave a child behind... The thought of some other man raising my kid... Yeah, no thanks.¡± He takes a gulp of his drink.


    ¡°You love her that much, huh?¡±


    ¡°More than life...¡± He says, staring into the glass...


    The Headmaster in charge of the Vine-yards greets us at the gate. The area seems outwardly peaceful here...


    ¡°Lady Evergreen, such an honor to see you again.¡±


    ¡°Headmaster, it has been a while, hasn¡¯t it?¡± The miss bows her head. I follow her lead.


    ¡°Percival Skyrider, pleased to make your acquaintance.¡± I extend my hand.


    ¡°Headmaster Sarrio, pleased to meet you. I heard quite a bit about the young prodigy.¡± He shakes my hand. I stare at him dumbfounded. ¡°Zaltem is my nephew.¡± He adds. Aah.


    ¡°Surely you gest.¡± I avert my eyes.


    ¡°Your last name proves it.¡± The Headmaster gives me a coy smile. I look over to the Miss for help, but her expression is exactly the same as the Sir''s. I clear my throat.


    ¡°Shall we get back to business, please?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Sir Sarrio nods. ¡±I understand you wish to know more about the Vines. However, not that I mean to pry, but knowing you Lady Evergreen, I fail to see the need for you to come over all this way? After all...¡±


    ¡°Yes. I understand your confusion. However, I am here on official business from Araneum as part of our RRD research division. On top of that, mister Skyrider personally needs to take a closer look, as being second in command of our department. That is why we are here.¡± The Miss explains quickly. I can¡¯t help, but notice how her tone feels colder than normal as she speaks...


    ¡°The RRD?¡± The Headmaster seems puzzled.


    ¡°Rebirth Research Division.¡± I step in.


    ¡°That''s right. Zaltem did mention it. Never the abbreviation though. Are we to expect an official inquiry from Existara as well?¡± Sir Sarrio gives the Miss a look.


    ¡°Possibly.¡± She agrees. ¡°Hence why we had to make an appearance.¡± The Headmaster nods, taking the hint.


    ¡°Now then, would it be possible to look around? We won¡¯t cause any trouble. Promise.¡± The Miss presses on.


    ¡°But of course, it is no trouble at all. It''s always a treat having the Priestess''s apprentice visit us.¡± Oh? Oh! I remember...


    ¡°I spent quite some time studying here, as part of my Mixology training.¡± She tells me.


    ¡°Fascinating.¡± I say. Suddenly the mood shifts again. How nerve wrecking. Mixology, a study based on principles of Alchemy with Herbology as its main branch. Basically, the study revolves around improving the qualities of herbs and potions, among other medicinal items. Nothing less of someone standing on equal terms as the Commander. The Headmaster leads us inside a glass corridor. There are Vine greenhouses on both sides. I see. This way we can observe the process without contaminating the workplace or intruding with the workflow.


    ¡°Noxians with the green robes purify the soil and the seeds. The ones in the darker green get up take care of their growth.¡±


    ¡°Somewhat like gardeners?¡± I ask and immediately regret my question.


    ¡°Exactly like that.¡± Sir Sarrio agrees. ¡°There is no shame in taking care of plants. It is for this reason that our uniforms range in the colors of green.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything special you add to the water or the soil after the Vines are planted?¡± I pose another question.


    ¡°Yes. Of course, as a rule, everything is purified and cleansed, before it comes in contact with the Vines. Usually, it is type of growth supplements, like vitamins for the plants, to strengthen them and their qualities.¡±


    ¡°Then you must use Enchanted Herbs?¡± I keep going.


    ¡°Yes. Those are seeped into the water streams. See there.¡± We stop and I look to my right. A tank of water stands at the top of the greenhouse. A couple of Noxians pour some mixtures in. The glass tank changes slightly in color. The water begins to flow through the glass tubes downward, toward the gardens. Hmm...


    ¡°It is to my understanding that the Ravos here have been experimenting with new breeds of Vines some time ago?¡± I ask again.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The Headmaster nods.


    ¡°How long has it been since the testing seized?¡± The Miss steps in.


    ¡°Quite some time, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°Would you be interested in restarting them?¡± She asks.


    ¡°Nothing would please me more. However.¡± The Sir seems grim.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Miss Laira presses the man.


    ¡°The reason why we fail to make progress with new breeds of Vines is that the more mana is infused into the living seed, the bigger it grows. Enchanted Herbs are harvested herbs. They are dried and prepared for the infusion. Essentially, it is the same as Cleanser casting. You simply chant the spell, pouring your mana outwards your body and into the object, like when healing a cut on the flesh. Unlike Mages, Cleansers do not have the visual associations of their Force. It is similar to Assassins and their shadows. That''s the basics of how this works. Now, because the herbs are no longer attached to the living body - they do not expand in size. The chants and the magic power remain contained. The chants are dormant till used.¡± Sir Sarrio explains.


    ¡°Meaning¡­¡± The Miss begins.


    ¡°Meaning that whatever was enchanted into the herbs, stay there, without fading till the herbs are used, releasing the spell.¡± I jump in.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± The Headmaster nods.


    ¡°That is why the more time is spent infusing the spells, the more powerful the effects of the herbs. The ability is similar to the Anchors ¨C they store the mana inside, that¡¯s why even a tiny amount is able to produce a powerful spell.¡± I add.


    ¡°Precisely. I see you are well versed with your knowledge.¡±


    ¡°I try my best.¡± I smile and continue organizing my thoughts...


    ¡°So, then basically you''re telling us that it is virtually impossible to cross breed Vines into something new?¡± Miss Laira asks.


    ¡°I''m afraid so. We have tried enchanting the seeds, before planting them, however, unlike the leaves, the seed is essentially a living thing. As soon as mana is being poured into it, it begins to grow. Over time, the magic begins to accumulate, with no escape route it bursts out, causing the seed to grow. Leaves, that are used for the herbs are the last stage of the plant, so to speak, so they do not transform. They simply wilt when too much mana is used on them at once. The process of making the Enchanted Herbs is quite delicate.¡± The Headmaster explains. ¡°Nowadays we purify the soil on a regular basis. We have a separate growth area for the cleansed Vines, specifically for growing seeds. We don¡¯t cleanse the seeds that much anymore. And even before, the purification spell is quite simple and does not require a lot of magic, so there weren¡¯t any changes to the seeds.¡±


    ¡°Have you considered infusing the soil with the same enchantments, used for the herbs? The same way you purify it now?¡± I ask looking at the trenches. I hear a soft giggle.


    ¡°Clever. Nothing less from a Primerian. Yes. We have done that, sadly the effects of the enchantments lessen during the growth of the Vines. They seem to be able to absorb some of them but¡­¡±


    ¡°But they aren¡¯t as powerful, requiring more of the Vines for the same effect, unlike when using regular Enchanted Herbs?¡± Miss Laira cuts in.


    ¡°Precisely.¡± The Headmaster agrees.


    ¡°That way the Vines are wasted more...¡± Miss Laira says.


    ¡°Yes. Sadly so.¡± Sir Sarrio agrees¡­ Not even water plants would work... It''s not like they grow from the water itself... But¡­


    ¡°Thank you for everything. I think we¡¯ll be taking our leave now.¡± Miss Laira bows. I follow her lead.


    ¡°It is great honor to serve the royal family.¡± The Headmaster bows his head to us. We leave the Vine-yards without saying anything much. Both of us are lost in thought.


    ¡°Percival, do you mind if we go straight to Cobalus without stopping?¡± The Miss asks me.


    ¡°No, of course not. I''d prefer it even. Though, it seems we hit a dead end...¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily.¡± The Miss disagrees. ¡°We still need the Enchanted Herbs. Of course. It''ll be a gamble, since we won¡¯t be able to get an answer from Araneum before we get there, but we should be able to leverage the Rebirth and the RRD to strike a deal with the local providers there. I don¡¯t dare claim we''ll get half the usual Araneum price, but it''s worth a shot.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I see. Yes, that may just work...¡±


    ¡°Mistress.¡± Arra greets us at the carriage.


    ¡°Please, if it''s not too much trouble, may we go straight to Cobalus?¡± She asks our escort.


    ¡°Of course. The Celodians have been fed and are rested. If we go full speed, we''ll make it there before nightfall.¡±


    ¡°Appreciate it.¡± The druid nods getting in.


    ¡°It may be a bumpy ride, though. Pyro yells to us.¡±


    ¡°We''ll manage.¡± I answer and shut the door.


    ¡°Working hard I see.¡± Crile comes over to me. I remain laying on the ground, panting.


    ¡°It keeps me busy.¡±


    ¡°You miss her a lot, don¡¯t you?¡± He mocks me. I see a tiny face lean over me. Ether has brought me my water pouch. I take it from him.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I smile and take a gulp. ¡°I do.¡± I answer the Assassin. ¡°We haven¡¯t been apart like this for a long time... Least thanks to Percy I have something to focus on.¡±


    ¡°And it seems the little one is quite fascinated by the show too.¡± Crile nods to Ether.


    ¡°It''s like he''s glued to me.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it''s because out of all of us here, you resemble him the most?¡±


    ¡°I figured...¡± I gesture to the boy to come over closer. He doesn¡¯t hesitate that time. I pat his head.


    ¡°You want to keep him, don¡¯t you?¡± Nailed it. ¡°But you¡¯re not sure if that''s right?¡± Double points.


    ¡°What gave me away?¡± I ask smiling at the boy.


    ¡°Seems like the little one trusts the two of you. Despite his shyness. We don¡¯t know what happened to him, but by the looks of things, you two might just be the next best thing that happened to the boy. You seem at ease with him around, yet at the same time you worry. I know, because I''m like that now too. A child changes a man. Usually.¡± He adds the last word at the last moment.


    ¡°It''s not my decision alone to make.¡± I tell him.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have picked him up if either one of you would have been against it.¡±


    ¡°Laira''s not the kind to abandon a child in the street like that.¡± I glare at the Assassin.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean her.¡± He nods to the boy. Oh... ¡°However. I have to ask.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Do you realize what you are doing to her?¡±


    ¡°By leaving her behind and dying?¡± I answer looking up at the blue sky... ¡°Think she''ll mourn me?¡±


    ¡°Dumbass. I''ll mourn you. For her - it''ll be the end of the world.¡±


    ¡°But at least she''ll have all of you to look after her...¡± I whisper quietly.


    ¡°Which would you rather have: a lover or a cousin?¡± I feel Crile stare at me. My shoulders twitch.


    ¡°Point taken...¡±


    ¡°Just so you know, last time it took the three of us keeping watch over her around the clock for two years before she got back to reality.¡±


    I look at Crile. ¡°Was that after her parents died?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°She never did tell me what happened...¡±


    ¡°A tragic incident. They were Diplomats sent on a mission. Her mother had no magic and her father was a Stone Mage. The carriage was ambushed on the way back from Cobalus. Some people back then wanted to restore the glory days of war and mayhem... It backfired. The peace was established the following weeks. The Priestess was furious. They were dear friends of hers... She took Laira in and we cared for her. She was a handful and suicidal. We''d even keep watch over her when she slept... It was a rough time for her. No surprise she doesn¡¯t talk about it...¡± He falls silent...


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell her I told you any of this. She''ll snap my neck.¡± He says. I giggle.


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    ¡°Come on. It''s almost dinner time. We gotta get you two cleaned up.¡± He stands up and offers me a hand.


    ¡°I feel like you¡¯re spoiling us.¡± I tell him, getting pulled up.


    ¡°Please. You guys took care of us plenty, it''s the least we can do.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t compare a cabin in the woods with a royal palace. That''s like two different worlds we''re talking about here.¡± I disagree.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Shut it and enjoy it.¡± He slaps me on the back and I stagger.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± I answer and we laugh.


    ¡°I was thinking. What if we plant trees around the crater of the Castle? If we use Ravos to speed up their growth it wouldn¡¯t take so long to grow them.¡±


    ¡°You mean regular trees? Not Vines. ¡°


    ¡°Yes. Well, Vines would get contaminated anyways.¡± I say.


    ¡°Ok, why though?¡± The Miss asks.


    ¡°To ease the work of combat Ravos. We could even use them as a last defensive resort or something like that. I got the idea earlier. Medical Vines wouldn¡¯t be wasted for battle and I think Combat Vines would be sturdier conjured from a living tree rather than with mana only straight from the ground? What? No good?¡± I see the confusion on the Miss''s face.


    ¡°Well one, I think that Combat Vines would simply be the same Vines, just not cleansed, they would be cheaper and easier to replace. I got that idea early on when training to fight with my Vines. Of course, at the time there wasn¡¯t any time to think about that, that''s why we divided our forces into Combat and Medical units. Anyways.¡± She pauses. ¡°Two. You¡¯re not wrong thinking that conjured Vines straight from the ground up are weaker than when fused with a living tree, so using Vines from trees as a defensive option would work better, yes. Three. I think if we rearrange the inside of the trees, we can make something like pipes, that would reach deep into the ground. If we can¡¯t use the Vines themselves against the poison, then we can at least provide the others with access.¡±


    ¡°Yes! I see! Simply pouring potions and mixtures into the ground would take too long to have an effect, plus, we''d either need enormous amounts of them or a ton of Water Shamans to force the liquids into the deeper layers of the soil, but this way, we could attack it at the source. Where the malice is concentrated. That should help with the curse too.¡±


    ¡°Yes. That''s what I thought too. Of course, this way the trees would also act as a barrier to prevent the spreading of the poison.¡± The Miss agrees.


    ¡°Of course, worst case scenario, that will be the last line of defense should we fail.¡± I say.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not think of that right now. Besides cleansing the curse. Which, at this point, seems to be the easiest part, we may have come up with a precaution and a counter measure for the poison. So, that''s a lot more than we had this morning.¡± The Miss smiles at me.


    ¡°Yes. I agree.¡± I look away a little.


    ¡°Seems we are here.¡± The Miss announces. I take a look out the window. The border. The lights from the lanterns zig zag along the dim road, almost like fireflies, dancing in the night¡­


    ¡°Looks like we''ll be here a while.¡± I sigh.


    ¡°No, we won¡¯t. Arra!¡± The girl appears next to the window.


    ¡°Mistress.¡±


    The Miss takes a scroll out of her bag and hands it to the guard. ¡°Find whoever is in charge and get us moving.¡± Miss Laira says uncharacteristically harshly...


    ¡°Understood.¡± The girl vanishes.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not waste time with border patrol. We are on a mission here.¡± The Miss tells me. Rather, herself. I nod and remain silent. The sound of galloping mounts reaches us from the outside.


    ¡°Lady Evergreen! Such an honor!¡± A middle aged Balli man shows himself in the window. ¡°Pardon the hold up. We shall escort you to the Capital now.¡± He nods again.


    ¡°Much appreciated.¡± The Miss smiles. Our carriage moves and we continue on. I can¡¯t shake the feeling there''s more to having Miss Laira come with me... Whether it is my instincts or my intelligence, something tells me that minding my own business is for the best right now¡­


    I notice a tiny horn peeking from behind the bed post on the other side.


    ¡°Ether?¡± I call out softly. The horn disappears. ¡°It''s ok. Come out.¡± I wait a moment. He shows half of his face.


    ¡°Would you like to take a closer look?¡± I pat the bed next to my pillow nest. Rei''s already passed out, whereas Xan''s appetite has increased. I shift my weight a little, holding the mini munchkin. Ether hesitates. I pretend not to stare at him. He slowly walks over, closer to us. I watch him with the corner of my eye, as he slowly climbs on. He crawls over and stops a few inches away from Reina''s pillow. His tiny eyes double in size, watching my daughter. The face gives his curiosity away. He reaches for her, slowly, almost fearfully. A fingertip lands on Rei''s puffy cheek. She makes a sound and Ether retreats his hand. I smile. I take my hand and carefully stick a finger right into Rei''s tiny palm. She grabs it. I watch Ether get closer again. He sticks a finger out and pokes at the other palm. Reina grabs him. He flinches, but doesn¡¯t back away. I slowly slip my hand out of her grip and let the two of them sort it out. The little Cornutese seems rather captivated by the tiny creature. I¡¯d like to pat him on the head, but I don¡¯t want to disturb the moment. Xander begins to fuss.


    ¡°All done?¡± I look down. ¡°Alright.¡± I fix myself up and wipe his tiny mouth clean.


    ¡°Would you look after her for me for a bit?¡± I ask the boy. His face turns all serious and he nods. Too cute. I carefully stand up and take Xan into the bathroom to change him.


    I reach for Crile. ¡°Ether''s here with us in the bedroom if you¡¯re looking for him.¡±


    ¡°Shoulda told us sooner.¡± I hear a frantic voice.


    ¡°Sorry. I got lost in the moment. He''s quite precious.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it.¡± Marcus''s voice sounds so proud it makes me laugh softly. I finish fixing Xan up and step back out to the bedroom. The door opens carefully and the two men enter the room. I nod toward the bed. Marcus takes a peek and freezes. Crile comes over to me, takes our son into his arms and a kiss from my lips. He sways in place, putting the boy to sleep. I return to the bed. Ether hasn¡¯t moved. I see the Mage watch the boy from a far in awe. I crouch over our girl.


    ¡°Good job, Ether, I''ll take her now, ok?¡± I wait a moment for him to respond. The boy nods and slowly takes his finger out of the tiny hand. I lean in and pick Rei up. She opens her eyes to me.


    ¡°Did I wake you? Sorry, honey.¡± I smile. Ether crawls off the bed.


    ¡°You did good there, Ether.¡± Marcus crouches down and praises the boy. The child grins proudly.


    ¡°Told you he''s cute.¡± I tell the Mage.


    ¡°No kidding.¡± He answers. I watch Crile put our son down into the cradle. He looks to our daughter and subtly gestures to Marcus. I stare at my husband for a moment.


    ¡°Marcus? Would you like to hold her?¡± I ask the man.


    ¡°Huh? Me? Are you sure?¡± He studders.


    ¡°Of course. Come here.¡± I sit down on the sofa by the end of the bed and pat next to me. The Mage clumsily sits down.


    ¡°Put your hands together like so.¡± Cri shows him how.


    ¡°Ok.¡± He makes the effort.


    ¡°A bit wider. She''s bigger than she looks.¡± Cri adjusts the Mage''s hands.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Marcus nods nervously.


    ¡°Relax. You''ll be fine.¡± I tell him and gently pass Reina over into his embrace. I make sure he has a good grip on her and pull away. ¡°See. You¡¯re doing great.¡±


    ¡°She''s heavy.¡± He says.


    ¡°I believe you just called our daughter fat.¡± Crile throws a quick glare at the Mage.


    ¡°What! No! That''s not...¡± He studders and I laugh quietly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pick on the poor thing, he hasn¡¯t taken a single breath yet.¡± I tell my husband.


    ¡°Sorry sorry, couldn¡¯t help it.¡± He shrugs it off.


    ¡°It''s like I¡¯m holding a mini Laira...¡± The words finally slip out. I glance over at Cri. He has the same sad yet warm expression on his face...


    ¡°You really do want one, don¡¯t you?¡± I ask carefully.


    ¡°Now, more than ever before...¡± Marcus whispers... Teardrops fall onto the girl''s face...


    It takes the authorities till noon to gives us permission to enter the greenhouses. Considering that we spent all that time getting here anyways, doesn¡¯t seem like much of a waste. Least I got to enjoy the view on the way here. The entire Capital resembles an array of giant sandcastles. Giving of the impression of a fragile power.


    ¡°Would you like to take a look around the city on our way back? I plan on staying the night to let the mounts rest.¡± The Miss tells me.


    ¡°If that¡¯s an option then I¡¯d love to!¡±


    She giggles at me. ¡°You do get easily excited...¡°


    ¡°Finally, you smiled like your usual self.¡± I gaze warmly at the Miss. She shudders.


    ¡°Seems I¡¯ve been more on edge than I realized... I¡¯m sorry for worrying you.¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°No worries at all.¡± We stop. The door opens. Pyro stands with his hand to the Miss. She easily ignores it and steps out on her own. The guy seems quite devastated.


    ¡°You can help me get off, if it¡¯ll make you feel better?¡± I whisper to him stepping down.


    ¡°That would probably be the end of me...¡± He answers quietly. I chuckle. A delegation of Balli Masters greets us. I gaze over them. A sea of glass greenhouses ripple through the sandy dunes, as far as the eyes can see... I see where the Noxians get their inspiration from... The structure looks familiar.


    ¡°Lady Evergreen. We''ve received word you wish to speak to our Headmaster. I''m afraid it is not possible at the moment. The Master has yet to return from the Capital himself.¡± A senior looking Balli woman in a bright red robe speaks to us. I nod politely and continue observing the situation...


    ¡°Good day to you, yes. I am aware of it. Would it cause any inconvenience if we wait for his return while looking around to keep us busy?¡± And there it is again. The unusual harshness covered with a deadly smile.


    ¡°For what reason should I allow you two to roam freely?¡± The old lady does not seem pleased with our visit...


    ¡°You are free to give us an escort. We merely wish to look around as we wait. However, if it is authority issues you have, then feel free to get in touch with Zaltem Gramen at the Araneum. You''ll be able to contact the King''s advisor in charge of our Research Division through him. They will be able to confirm that we are here on official business regarding the Rebirth. Would that suffice?¡± The Miss is scaring me.


    ¡°No need for that, I have been thoroughly informed already. Thank you for greeting our guests, Rovah.¡± A senior Balli man approaches us on a sand colored Camelli. They can carry quite the weight and journey quite far with little food. A mount perfect for the dessert. Their facial features resemble those of a sheep, at least to me they always did.. Yet in size they rival even the Tiger-horse mixtures... I must admit, the humps do not seem to be too comfortable to sit on... Especially for extended periods of time...


    ¡°I am the Headmaster Harrenis. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Evergreen, Sir Skyrider.¡± The man bows. So do we.


    ¡°If you would, this way, please.¡± The man shows us the way and we follow suit.


    ¡°Now then, how may I be of service?¡± Sir Harennis asks.


    ¡°Would you be willing to directly supply our Research Division with Enchanted Herbs?¡± Miss Laira does not hold back.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there any over at the New Continent?¡± The Headmaster says.


    ¡°Cobalus has monopoly over the import of most of the magical herbs. Some are grown locally here and there, but everyone knows that the best ones come from here. It should be no surprise to you that Noxanda has already signed a deal to be the direct supplier of Vines. Both Medical and Combat orientated. You can think of this as contributing to saving our world as we know it. If that''s more to your liking.¡± Wow. She''s terrifying...


    ¡°It comes as no surprise to me that Noxanda is so willing to offer assistance. No offence.¡± Sir Harrenis turns his head to us just bit.


    ¡°None taken.¡± The Miss holds his gaze with ease.


    ¡°And what have the rest of them offered to add to your noble cause?¡± He''s mocking us.


    ¡°Repperi has already done more than enough. It is thanks to their Archives that we have been able to obtain invaluable information regarding the matter, as well as come with up with counter measures.¡± I speak up. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t be here otherwise.¡± I try my best to keep the pressure going. The Headmaster takes a moment.


    ¡°I see. Am I to understand that we are the only ones left?¡± He graces us with a full revolution. We stop a few steps away from him.


    ¡°No. Venatus is next on the list. However, unlike you, they will have to convince us of what is it they can offer us, should you accept our offer. You see, there is also an audience going on there, right this very moment. If they agree first, then you''ll be the only ones left out of the alliance. I don¡¯t suppose I need to explain what will happen to Cobalus reputation should that be the case, now do I?¡± Ooohhhh Miss Laira is full of surprises.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t doing this out of the goodness of our hearts.¡± I step in. ¡°The Rebirth is all of our problem, not only Existara''s alone. One should be quite, well, intellectually challenged, not to understand the severity of this union and what glory it brings. Not to mention the future prospects for expansion...¡± I throw the bait and wait.


    ¡°Nice one, Percy.¡± The Miss''s voice reaches me.


    ¡°Likewise.¡± I answer.


    ¡°Very well. What type of Enchanted Herbs are we talking about here? Do you have somethings specific in mind?¡± Wow.


    ¡°The majority should be focus for poison manipulation.¡± Miss Laira answers.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem.¡± Sir Harrenis turns around again and continues down the glass corridor.


    ¡°Sir, if I may make an observation?¡± I ask carefully.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°I cannot help, but notice how cool it is in here. Considering the climate and the angle of the glass, I expected to be a roasted chicken by now... So to speak.¡± I add quickly. The old man roars with laughter. He sounds like Tonso...


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised a novice like yourself noticed.¡± He continues to chuckle as he turns around to us. ¡°As a matter of fact this is not glass, it''s ice. Reinforced with enchantments as well as regular supply of mana from our Mages.¡±


    ¡°Ice! Aah. I see. The enchantments prevent it from melting and the casting help sustain it. Ingenious. Is this how you are able to regulate the temperature needed for the plants?¡± I ask touching a pane.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± The man agrees.


    ¡°Fascinating... And the soil? Obviously you can¡¯t grow anything in the sand.¡±


    ¡°Correct. Unfortunately for us, we are forced to import the soil. Or rather. Were. For the time being the greenhouses have not been expanding much.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it expensive?¡± I ask.


    ¡°It is. But it is worth the trouble.¡± The man explains.


    ¡°Sir, with all due respect. You¡¯d be wise not to underestimate Sir Skyrider here. He may look like a novice, but he''s the brains behind the entire existence of the Rebirth Research Division.¡±


    ¡°Miss! What are you!¡±


    ¡°Hush. Trust me.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The Headmaster stares me down. ¡°I see. I shall keep it in mind then.¡± Sir Harrenis redirects his gaze from me to the Miss. ¡°I assume you already have your prices in mind?¡±


    ¡°We''d appreciate half the usual ones.¡±


    ¡°Preposterous!¡± The man shakes his head. ¡°Transportation alone cost as much!¡±


    ¡°Araneum will be providing that. You already have your trade routes laid out. One of which goes straight to Crepitus, does it not? We''ll meet you half way. If you can deliver the herbs there then we''ll take them the rest of the way. Along with the rest of your merchandise. That will cut your travel time and expenses in half. No?¡± Miss Laira stares the man down.


    ¡°Can you guarantee protection? The Rebellion tends to use the waters between Existara and Crepitus as their hunting grounds.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem. We have a state of the art security system and a fool proof way to deal with that.¡± I speak up again.


    ¡°What might that be?¡± He glares at me suspiciously.


    ¡°Ravos and their Vines. Did you know that it is even possible to submerge an entire ship underwater, without getting the goods wet and or damaged? As well as having all of the crew safe and sound?¡± I step forward.


    ¡°Ha! Is this the best nonsense you can offer?¡± He gives me a smug grin.


    ¡°I understand why you wouldn¡¯t believe me. However. If you know the name Deathbreeze Skyrider then you know that possibilities are endless. Just ask around at the docks over there. Stories like that spread like wild fire.¡± I casually shrug my shoulders.


    ¡°And how is it that you know it''s possible?¡± The Headmaster steps forward, glaring at me.


    ¡°I was there. I¡¯ve seen it happen.¡± I hold his gaze and keep my voice low and calm. ¡°If you¡¯d like to trade war stories, I¡¯d be more than happy to tell you in great detail what the Castle of Despair and the Rebirth truly are.¡± I watch the look on his face change. Gotchya.


    ¡°We''ll also need a variety of Medicinal Herbs too, of course.¡± Miss Laira breaks the silence.


    ¡°Of course.¡± The man agrees. ¡°Will that be all?¡±


    ¡°No. If you would, I¡¯d like some herbs for Shamanic spell casting as well.¡±


    ¡°Which element and purpose?¡± Sir Harrenis asks. ¡°Or would you prefer more diverse ones?¡±


    ¡°Care to elaborate, seeing how you¡¯re the expert here?¡± I answer.


    ¡°Enchanted Herbs may seem like a cloud of dust, however, each Shaman has an element they control and a purpose they use it for. The herbs are divided as such as well. Simple. Now, there are herbs of higher quality and pricing that are infused with a variety of enchantments, making them more diverse in their uses.¡±


    ¡°What is the usual price for such herbs?¡± The Miss asks.


    ¡°One to five. Five times less the amount with...¡±


    ¡°Five times more the price. Explains how you can afford Ice Mages casting spells around the clock all year round.¡± I finish his sentence for him. He gives me a grin.


    ¡°Include those in the deal as well. For the moment I''ll take a few pouches of herbs for Water, Air and Fire. Healing and reinforcement as well as half a pouch of your finest diverse ones.¡± I tell the Headmaster. He takes a moment.


    ¡°You''ll be able to collect them on your way back at the entrance.¡± He says. That was fast.


    ¡°Much appreciated.¡± I nod.


    ¡°To whom I should address the future shipments to?¡±


    ¡°Laira Evergreen.¡±


    ¡°Evergreen?¡± The man furrows his brow. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me...¡±


    ¡°The same one.¡± Huh? I steal a glance. The Miss''s face is unreadable... I have so many questions!!


    ¡°I was hoping to avoid the subject. It''s not exactly something the Balli nation is proud of?¡± What is going on here! The Headmaster does not answer.


    ¡°I''ll see to it that we have your first shipment ready by next month. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°Perfect.¡± The Miss smiles.


    ¡°Is there anything else I can do for you?¡± Sir Harrenis looks the both of us over.


    ¡°That will be all.¡± The Miss bows. As do I.


    ¡°Thank you for everything. We appreciate your cooperation.¡± I add.


    ¡°It is an honor to be able to play our role in the matters of Rebirth.¡± The Headmaster bows his head. ¡°Will you be able to find your way back?¡±


    ¡°Straight down, correct?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He nods. ¡°Now then, if you''ll excuse me, I shall take my leave here.¡± He bows again.


    ¡°Thank you for your time.¡± The Miss smiles and we leave.


    ¡°I have so many questions...¡± I whisper.


    ¡°Try your best to wait till we get out of here.¡± Miss Laira whispers back. ¡°Frankly, so do I. That thing about the ship being submerged. Was that true?¡±


    ¡°Wait are you telling me you don¡¯t know?¡± I stop at a halt. ¡°They didn¡¯t tell you?!¡±


    ¡°Shh! Keep it down.¡± She hisses at me. I catch up to her. ¡°So it is true.¡±


    ¡°Oh it.. it was... I¡¯m at a loss for words¡­ You bluffed! There isn¡¯t any delegation in Venatus! We''re the only ones who got sent out!¡± I break and use the stone...


    ¡°Percival, you¡¯re even loud inside your head when you¡¯re excited... Yes. That was a bluff. But they don¡¯t know that. Besides. I had to say something to spark his interest. It''s not like he made it easy for us.¡±


    ¡°True. But still, that was one heck of a bluff.¡±


    ¡°It was a gamble and I took it.¡± The Miss''s expression remains solid and unreadable. ¡°Though, if I may, you weren¡¯t so bad yourself.¡± She finally looks at me. I blush and turn away.


    ¡°I try my best to keep up... What about the Vine supply? When did you manage that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that was a bluff too. We''ll make a quick stop on the way back and talk it over with Sarrio. Hopefully he''ll agree to it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re full of surprises. And the trading route?¡±


    ¡°Oh that''s common knowledge.¡± She answers.


    ¡°I see. Oh! May I ask what subject you were talking about? The one that Balli people aren¡¯t proud of?¡±


    ¡°The death of my parents.¡± She says and a veil of grief rolls over the Miss. I continue walking with my mouth gaping wide as nothing decent comes to mind. We approach the exit of the greenhouses.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget your herbs.¡± Miss Laira reminds me.


    ¡°Oh, yes, thank you.¡± A young Balli girl greets us as we step outside. Damn its hot here.


    ¡°Sir Skyrider, your herbs, as you requested them.¡± She tells me showing a tray with pouches.


    ¡°Excellent. How much will that be?¡± I rustle for the money.


    ¡°These are complimentary, as per the Headmaster''s instructions.¡± The girl answers.


    ¡°How generous of him.¡± The Miss''s voice has a hint of irony in it...


    ¡°Much appreciate it. In that case. Here.¡± I take a few silver coins and leave them on the tray, as I collect my herbs. ¡°For your troubles.¡± I smile at the girl. She blushes and bows.


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind.¡± She whispers as we walk away. We get in our carriage and take off.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask me?¡±


    ¡°Ask what?¡±


    ¡°About my parents.¡± Miss Laira stares out the window.


    ¡°Not unless you want to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Some wine would be nice...¡± She giggles quietly.


    ¡°I¡¯m starving.¡± I agree.

 13. The Stables and the Pride

    The little guy seems unusually restless.


    ¡°He seems anxious.¡± Breeze says.


    ¡°You noticed it, huh?¡± I ask.


    ¡°He probably misses her just as much.¡± Crile says.


    ¡°Looks like it.¡± I pat his little head. The carriage arrives the next minute and Laira steps outside. Ether lets go of my hand and runs over to her, tackling her legs with a hug.


    ¡°Well now. I¡¯m pretty sure he beat you do it.¡± Crile mocks me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say I let him win... This time.¡± I pout. I watch Laira snap out of it. She picks the little guy up into her embrace.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to meet us at the entrance.¡± Percival shows himself from around the carriage.


    ¡°Don¡¯t spoil a mother¡¯s fun.¡± Breeze says. Our Cleanser seems thrown off by that and doesn¡¯t say anything else.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± Crile asks taking the kid¡¯s overgrown bag.


    ¡°We have good news and bad news. Which ones you want first?¡± Laira says walking over to me. She gives me a quick peck. That''s all I get? I take her bag from her.


    ¡°Good news, please.¡± Breeze says, returning back inside the Palace.


    ¡°We scored a deal with Cobalus. Enchanted Herbs for half the price.¡± Laira says and all of us stop.


    ¡°What did you promise them?¡± Crile asks suspiciously.


    ¡°That Araneum will be handling their transportation half way from Crepitus.¡± Percival answers.


    ¡°So, basically you''ll be getting the full price, just with the transportation included.¡± Breeze comments and we begin walking again.


    ¡°Pretty much, yes.¡± Laira nods. ¡°Speaking of which. You PULLED A SHIP UNDERWATER?¡± Say WHAT! We stop at a halt again.


    ¡°Traitor.¡± Breeze throws a death glare at Percival.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was supposed to be a secret!¡± The kid defends himself.


    ¡°I figured there was a reason why Crile wanted to talk to me about you. But with everything that was going on...¡± Laira cradles Ether. She looks soo... Comfortable with him in her arms...


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a Lector conversation to have...¡± Crile looks away.


    ¡°No kidding.¡± Laira agrees. ¡°Anyways. Here''s the bad news.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Breeze exhales.


    ¡°We won¡¯t be breeding any new Vines. Like ever.¡± My girl answers.


    ¡°I had a feeling that might be the case.¡± Breeze sighs. We stop by our room.


    ¡°Rest up and we''ll talk more over dinner, sound good?¡± Crile suggests.


    ¡°Sure.¡± I agree.


    ¡°Sounds good.¡± Percy nods too. We enter the room. Laira has yet to let Ether go.


    ¡°You two seem comfy.¡± I tell her setting her bag down.


    ¡°He surprised me. Guess I haven¡¯t gotten over it yet.¡± She says, smiling at the boy.


    ¡°Are you tired?¡± I ask. Why do I feel uneasy?


    ¡°Not really.¡± She answers. There''s something in her voice...


    We gather again in the royal bedroom for dinner. The little guy seems to have gotten used to things while we were gone. He doesn¡¯t hesitate to take whatever he likes. He makes himself comfortable on his usual chair, right between the Miss and Sir Marcus. I help myself too. Soon enough we finish with our small talk and I explain our combo idea for the Vines and the trees.


    ¡°There''s another thing that I neglected to mention last time.¡± I begin. ¡°Possessions are not caused by spells. I double checked that quickly at the Archives too. It is the most Primodial Magic in existence. No caster is able to project their own will onto someone else. Beast Druids use the same principle when merging with their Spirits'', but that''s not the same as having say, me, transfer my consciousness into Sir Marcus or putting him under a spell that will allow me to control his actions and his mind. Spirit Magic is beyond Ancient power. I believe that over time, as the Castle consumed more and more magic it developed a hunger for it. The more magic it consumes the more it wants the next time around. Now, because Magic and Nature tend to evolve every now and again, it makes sense to me why the Castle changes each Rebirth. It processes the magic consumed, giving birth to something new.¡±


    ¡°The name never seemed so fitting before...¡± Sir Marcus sighs. I nod and continue.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be sure that magic power can obtain a consciousness and a will of its own, but I believe that it is possible for someone else''s consciousness to be sealed or preserved with it instead.¡±


    ¡°How do you figure?¡± Sir Crile throws a question.


    ¡°Because of Lady Starlight.¡± I take a moment. Not a single flinch or twitch. I carry on. ¡°It wasn¡¯t merely her body that was resurrected, but her will and feelings too. Twisted to the dark side, but nonetheless, and she had her full body intact. Unlike the rest of the Undead that we encountered. I believe that was due to the direct contact she had with the Magic Core. According to the records she fell. I believe her body fell directly into the Core as the Castle began to crumble. That¡¯s how her consciousness survived and was able to manifest. The Core seals itself shut as soon as its magic power is replenished. I believe everything that comes in contact with it is sealed away too. Except that the further away from the Core, the less of the original item and being remain...¡± I take a breather. ¡°Also¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± The Sir pushes me.


    ¡°A question for Commander.¡± I try my best to hold my gaze steady.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± She has a blunt look on her.


    ¡°When you were possessed, did you feel a foreign presence? Was there a voice that only you heard?¡±


    Lady Breeze freezes. So do I. I wait. She opens her mouth, but no sound comes out. She swallows and nods.


    ¡°Yes. I felt a power that wasn¡¯t mine. I heard a voice inside my head that I did not recognize. It froze my blood when it spoke¡­¡± She takes a second. Her expression changes. ¡°Is this the last piece you needed to confirm?¡±


    I nod slightly. ¡°I apologize for causing you discomfort.¡±


    ¡°Explains how the Castle is able to adapt itself. Even though I¡¯ve experienced it, it never really made sense...¡± The Lady''s tone gives a faraway impression... Guess it never gets easier to talk about this...


    ¡°And you¡¯ve stated before that because the Castle emerges from the ground upwards, the Core should be beneath the earth.¡± The Miss pitches in.


    ¡°Exactly. Now. Where or how deep, I can¡¯t say for certain. I do believe I would have to do extensive research at the site to verify it. Amongst other things...¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Sir Crile asks me.


    ¡°Oh, like the exact radius of the Rebirth. I mean, we know that the crater is its main zone, but we can¡¯t be certain that while the Castle is dormant, the malice does not spread deeper underground. I think we might have to purify the surrounding area just to be on the safe side. Also. We can¡¯t be sure that at the Peak of the Rebirth, the malice does not intensify, spreading further. We won¡¯t know for sure till we examine the site carefully.¡± I explain.


    ¡°Sounds like a lot of work...¡± The Mage sighs...


    ¡°You can say that again...¡± I mumble...


    ¡°Only Magic can beat Magic¡­¡± Sir Marcus says vaguely... ¡°I kinda figured we''d need more fire power than ever, but... Can we even generate enough needed to go up against Magic itself?¡± I wish he hadn¡¯t said that... That has been my main concern since day one...


    ¡°We''ll need to have faith in the public.¡± Sir Crile says. ¡°Believe that people will want to take part and die trying... There''s always someone dreaming of world peace...¡± His voice has a hint of grief to it... I wonder, how many dear friends did they watch die...


    ¡°True.¡± Lady Breeze agrees. ¡°Well. I think Tahon is enough of a moron to push this forward. Especially after you managed to save his gold on the Herbs. You''ll be able to stock up on a fortune this way. Provided the deal holds till then.¡± Commander says.


    ¡°I''m on it.¡± Miss Laira answers. ¡°I have Zaltem working as my replacement over there.¡±


    ¡°Clever.¡± The Sir agrees.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ve been filling him in with everything that goes on here. Percy''s hand was a hit. He agrees with the idea for a base, but he also agrees that it is a gamble.¡±


    ¡°Oh, WAIT he knows too?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± The Miss nods and bursts out laughing. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t told him about your new tattoo. I have been relaying every other idea of yours though. Specifically naming you as the author of them.¡± She smiles at me. Wait.


    ¡°So, if anything goes south, it''ll be my head instead of yours?¡±


    ¡°That''s new.¡± The Sir says.


    ¡°I''ll say.¡± The Mage seconds and it finally dawns on me. I cover my face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡± I mumble. Laughter reaches my ears.


    ¡°No no, it''s alright, for what it''s worth, you have it all wrong. It''s better that you''d be the generator of ideas with my name backing you up. You''ll gain more recognition this way.¡± The Miss explains. ¡°We''re building your reputation.¡±


    ¡°Is it a good idea though?¡± I have to wonder...


    ¡°Well...¡± The Miss hesitates.


    ¡°Well go on, fess up already.¡± The Lady urges Miss Laira...


    ¡°I¡¯ve been around longer, I already have a reputation. It was your idea for the Research Division amongst other things. If we want to follow Breeze''s example and bring change into Araneum, then this is the better approach.¡± She says.


    ¡°And?¡± The Lady adds.


    ¡°And there''s also another reason why I was sent out with you to go to Cobalus...¡± She pauses. ¡°I¡¯m a Diplomat and have a special privilege to be the personal representative of the Priestess.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ok. Wait, say again?¡± I stare at the Miss.


    ¡°Does that mean you can make decision on her behalf?¡± Sir Marcus asks carefully.


    ¡°Yes and no. It''s a grey area. Anyways. My status is common knowledge at the Royal City.¡±


    ¡°Not to me it wasn¡¯t!¡± The Mage raises a hand.


    ¡°Sorry, I thought I mentioned it...¡± The Miss averts her gaze. ¡°As I was saying. Due to my status, I''m not technically supposed to be involved in Araneum¡¯s affairs, but since this is the Rebirth we''re talking about...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re able to use your standing to back me up?¡± I finish the Miss''s sentence.


    ¡°More or less, yes. As a matter of fact, when Breeze was out during her challenger series, when Lady Devona was visiting...¡±


    ¡°You mean her suicide mission?¡± The Sir does not pass up the opportunity to take a jab at the Lady''s recklessness...


    ¡°Laira, you were saying?¡± Lady Breeze ignores her husband¡¯s comment.


    ¡°We used my status as the cover up. We threw Breeze in, more like a heavily decorated overachiever of Noxanda, that the Priestess wished to speak to for whatever the political reasons, rather than exposing her royal connections.¡±


    ¡°Ok when you say it like that it kinda hurts.¡± The Lady pouts.


    ¡°Deal with it.¡± The Sir hugs her to him.


    ¡°Luckily for us, the Royal Robes didn¡¯t pry too much into the matter. Neither I, nor Lady Devona was seen around the Palace after the second day of her arrival, so it worked out in our favor.¡± The Miss finishes explaining.


    ¡°I forgot about that...¡± The Lady admits.


    ¡°Not surprised.¡± The Miss rolls her eyes. ¡°Anyways, if it''s alright with you, I''d like to set out for Venatus in two days.¡±


    ¡°Why so quickly?¡± Sir Crile asks.


    ¡°You just got back.¡± Sir Marcus seconds.


    ¡°If possible, I''d prefer to move things along quick. We have our curse and poison part figured out. But the disease is tricky.¡± Miss Laira answers.


    ¡°Is it possible your bluff has something to do with this as well?¡± I ask carefully...


    ¡°What bluff?¡± Lady Breeze''s eyes get piercingly cold...


    ¡°I may have overdone it with the negotiations...¡± The Ravo lowers her eyes... The Lady keeps her glare on the girl. The Miss sighs.


    ¡°I bluffed that if Cobalus refuses to work with us they''ll be the only ones left out and it will damage their reputation. I said that while the two of us are negotiating here, a party in Venatus is doing the same. Basically, I created an impression that Cobalus was in a race for recognition... Or something like that...¡±


    ¡°Laira, I¡¯m disappointed in you. For someone of your standing that was pretty reckless.¡± The Lady''s voice sounds cold and harsh. Almost like burning and freezing at the same time¡­


    ¡°The difference between you and I is that I gamble my own life, for the most part, but you leveraged a political position on an international scale. Regardless of the circumstances that pushed you into making such a decision, there is no excuse you can make to justify your actions. Should this backfire, it may very well cause an international incident. If you lose your Diplomat status, not only Percival''s credibility will be in jeopardy, but all of Noxanda too. Not to mention how will this reflect on Araneum as well. Reckless is an understatement. Even with Glen''s party being there at the time, none of them pass as having such legal power as you. They would be counted as mere messengers and nothing more. You twisted an arm when you did not have the strength to break it. I imagine that wasn¡¯t the only thing you mentioned to compensate for your lie?¡± Wow. This is my first time hearing the Lady speak like a true Queen...


    ¡°I...¡± The Miss shuts her mouth as soon as it opens.


    ¡°Let me guess, you used your parents¡¯ deaths as an indirect threat. You bare their name. It''s well known in Ballista''s history. After all, there hasn¡¯t been another Evergreen since then.¡± The Lady hits the nail on the head. The Miss nods.


    ¡°Imbecile! Have you no respect for the dead!¡± The Lady roars and the cries fill the bedroom. The twins... Lady Breeze and Sir Crile get up instantly and take an infant each. Nobody says a word...


    ¡°You leave first thing tomorrow morning.¡± The Sir says.


    ¡°Yes, Milord.¡± The Miss nods and leaves the room.


    ¡°Is it alright with you if Ether and I tag along as well?¡± Sir Marcus makes a request extra carefully.


    ¡°Of course, you''re free to go if you wish.¡± The Lady answers. Her tone normal again.


    ¡°Will you go?¡± The Sir asks me.


    ¡°I''d like to?¡± I hesitate.


    ¡°Then you should get ready. Talk to Glen who''s going with you.¡± Sir Crile tells me.


    ¡°Marcus.¡± The Lady speaks to the Mage. ¡°You¡¯re to make sure she doesn¡¯t pull any more stunts like that. This is not a competition. The RRD is asking for assistance only, not issuing orders.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± The Mage nods. ¡°Then we''ll be going now too.¡± He takes Ether into his arms.


    ¡°I''ll go too, good night then. In case...¡± I get stuck mid-sentence.


    ¡°It''s fine Percival, oh, before you go.¡± The Lady puts her son back into the cradle. ¡°How did you like Cobalus?¡±


    ¡°It was magnificent! I¡¯ve never seen such architecture before! And the markets! So different from Araneum''s stalls. I picked up a few books on Shamanic spell casting. I want to learn more spells oh and, I forgot!¡± I grab a pouch.


    ¡°Here.¡± I give it to Sir Marcus. ¡°These are extra special Herbs. I was told they are more diverse in their uses, I figured they would suit you better. I did take a sample to try out myself and compare to the regular ones. Oh, here.¡± I take the bag of my shoulder and hand it to the Mage.


    "There''s a beginner¡¯s manual for Shamanic spell casting and a bunch of other Herbs. Labelled. The principle is the same for all of the casting and Herbs, but yeah, so, if you need help, let me know, even though I¡¯m starting out myself I''ll do my best to help out oh and... I¡¯m rambling again, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    Sir Marcus shakes his head. ¡°I appreciate the effort, Percival, you didn¡¯t have to do all of this for me.¡±


    ¡°It''s my pleasure.¡± I disagree.


    ¡°Alright, if you say so. Just tell me how much I owe you for all of this.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely nothing. I got the Herbs free of charge and I kept half of them. The book is my gift to you.¡± I smile.


    The Mage laughs. ¡°Thank you. Truly.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± I answer and watch them leave the room.


    ¡°You¡¯re a good kid. A hand lands on my shoulder.¡± Sir Crile. ¡°Get some rest. You need it the most.¡±


    ¡°If there''s anything you need, just let us know. Don¡¯t be shy.¡± The Lady walks over to us too with a more motherly expression now. I nod.


    ¡°Will do. Good night then.¡± I leave.


    ¡°Rest well.¡± The Lady tells me and I close the doors behind me.


    ¡°Rest well.¡± Breeze tells our Cleanser as he closes the doors behind him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you were a little harsh back there with Laira?¡±


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t. Neither as her friend, nor as a Queen. If anything, I believe I managed to hold back quite a lot.¡± Zarri answers me.


    ¡°That was you holding back? Really?¡± I mock her gently.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything, so you don¡¯t get to judge me.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if I should. Maybe she had a good reason for it.¡± I hug her from behind. ¡°And for the record, I wasn¡¯t judging you.¡± I whisper into her ear.


    ¡°Could¡¯ve fooled me...¡± My wife pouts. I smile and watch our kids together with her...


    ¡°Listen, about the wedding... How about we have one after all?¡±


    ¡°Why this all of a sudden?¡± She tilts her head to me.


    ¡°Why not? Our closest people are here with us... I mean, technically, we are engaged still, you know.¡±


    ¡°Is that how you see it?¡± Breeze nuzzles me.


    ¡°That''s how I¡¯ve always seen it...¡± I nuzzle her back... ¡°Is there a reason you don¡¯t want to make it official?¡±


    ¡°I figured it was official since the moment we stood in front of the crowd together, hand in hand...¡± Her scent is sooo alluring...


    ¡°That was for the public...¡± I disagree. ¡°What about for us?¡± I tighten my grip around her...


    ¡°This wouldn¡¯t be because you simply wish to see me in that dress again... Would it?¡± Breeze traces my jaw with her fingertips, barely brushing against the skin...


    ¡°And what if it is?¡± I don¡¯t hide it... She laughs with her body only...


    ¡°Fine. How about before they leave for Araneum?¡±


    ¡°Perfect.¡± I answer, face her to me and kiss her deep...


    ¡°Are you bothered about what happened last night?¡± I ask Laira.


    ¡°No.¡± Her tone tells me otherwise... This is killing me...


    ¡°This is the first time in our relationship when you''ve felt so distant... Did I do something to upset you without realizing it?¡± I ask carefully, looking out the window.


    ¡°There¡¯s just a lot on my mind.¡±


    ¡°Can I help with anything?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She tells me quick and sharp.


    ¡°Ok, I can understand that this RRD thing isn¡¯t exactly a piece of cake, but there¡¯s no reason for you to treat me like an outsider! I can¡¯t be there for you if you won¡¯t let me!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that!¡± She snaps back at me.


    ¡°Then what is it!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know!¡± She scowls at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m not! I have no freaking clue!¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re just insulting me!¡± She throws me a death glare and turns away again.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not! Quit being such a brat and tell me what¡¯s going on with you! I don¡¯t know anything unless YOU tell me!¡± I snap back.


    ¡°Him!¡± She points to a pile of blankets.


    ¡°Ether? What about him? Did he do something?¡± Now I¡¯m lost.


    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the problem.¡± I ask as calmly as I manage in one breath¡­


    ¡°He IS the problem. What exactly are we doing here? He¡¯s not a puppy!¡± She''s not making any sense. ¡°It¡¯s not like we can just keep him! He probably has a family that¡¯s worried about him!¡±


    My blood boils and I snap. ¡°THAT''S YOUR ISSUE!! We don¡¯t even know IF his family is dead or alive! It''s been over two weeks since we found him and there hasn¡¯t been any development! Not even with Glen and the others helping! At this point I¡¯m leaning towards the idea that we are all he has! Yes, I realize it''s too soon to tell, but still! I mean, we found him on the street! Starving!! Covered in lice and fleas! We had to shave his head to get rid of it all! Not to mention the bruises!!! Even his horns were so banged up that magic couldn''t fix them!! We had to reshape them with a file!!!


    "I KNOW ALL THAT!! I WAS THERE REMEMBER!!!" Laira cuts in.


    "AND?" I yell back. Silence. My anger does the talking for me.


    "What kind of a family do you think could have let this happen do a child!! In the middle of a town! How long do you think it takes for a body to get into the condition that he was in! DAMN IT, LAIRA! He maybe my one and only chance to have a family with you! You take a good look at him and tell me can you throw him away now! Pretend like nothing ever happened! Can you!¡±


    ¡°OF COURSE NOT! IM NOT A MONSTER!¡± She yells back.


    ¡°I never said you are one!! But the way you¡¯re acting!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m simply saying that we can¡¯t get too attached to him, it''ll only be harder on him later...¡±


    ¡°On him or on you?¡± I mock her.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re just picking a fight me!¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am! Apparently, that''s the only way I can get anything out of you!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to BE WITH ME IN THE FIRST PLACE!¡± She snaps at me again. ¡°IT''S NOT LIKE IM KEEPING YOU TIED TO A POST!¡±


    ¡°NO! NO, YOU¡¯RE NOT!¡± I snap back. ¡°YOU¡¯RE NOT WRONG EITHER!! I DONT HAVE TO BE WITH YOU! I WANT TO! I¡¯m the one keeping myself next to you!!¡±


    ¡°Then DONT! A NICE LITTLE PRIMERIAN GIRL WOULD SUIT YOU JUST FINE!!¡±


    ¡°THE HELL WITH THAT!! I DON¡¯T GET IT!! I DON¡¯T recognize the woman I¡¯m in love with!!¡±


    ¡°Maybe you chose wrong! After all! I CAN¡¯T GIVE YOU WHAT YOU WANT!¡± Laira screams hysterically at me. Somehow that pisses me off.


    ¡°AND WHAT IS IT THAT I WANT, HUH?¡±


    ¡°A CHILD!¡± She glares at me. That¡¯s not my Laira... ¡°YOU THINK I HAVEN¡¯T NOTICED! THE WAY YOU LOOK AT THE TWINS!! YOU WANT ONE! ONE THAT¡¯S YOURS! DON¡¯T LIE TO ME AND TELL ME THAT IT¡¯S NOT THE CASE!!¡±


    ¡°YES! YES! I DO WANT ONE! I¡¯D LOVE TO HAVE ONE WITH YOU! HELL! I¡¯D LOVE A COUPLE! A DOZEN! BUT WE CAN¡¯T! CROSSBREEDING DOESN¡¯T WORK!!¡± The rage spills out of me¡­


    ¡°I KNOW THAT!! THATS WHY IM TELLING YOU TO LEAVE!!¡±


    ¡°AND GO WHERE! DO WHAT! SPEND THE REST OF MY MISERABLE LIFE LONGING FOR YOU!¡±


    ¡°YOU fell in love once! You''ll do it again!¡±


    ¡°WHAT AM I to you, exactly?¡± I ask strangely calm. ¡°Am I something you can so easily throw away and forget? Does the time we spent together mean nothing to you?¡± I feel tears dripping down my face... She doesn¡¯t answer...


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    ¡°Is it bothering you? That he''s Cornutese? Would it better for you if he was a Noxian?¡± I ask coldly.


    ¡°No.¡± She mumbles.


    ¡°Do you not want to raise a child with me? Is that it?¡± I keep my eyes to my feet.


    ¡°No.¡± Another rumble.


    ¡°Then what is it?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this...¡± She whispers¡­


    ¡°Do what?¡± Silence. ¡°DO WHAT?¡± I pressure her. Nothing.


    ¡°Oh, for the love of ours, Laira, talk to me! I can¡¯t have you shut down on me like this!¡±


    ¡°I just can¡¯t do it!¡± She screams at me. ¡°I CAN¡¯T WATCH THE BOTH YOU DIE AND LEAVE ME!!¡± She covers her face and weeps... Aah damn it... Crile, you were right...


    ¡°Is that the only problem?¡± I ask softly.


    ¡°DON¡¯T MAKE IT SOUND LIKE IT¡¯S NOTHING!¡± She screams at me hysterically again. That makes me laugh nervously... I sit there giggling like a maniac... Suddenly, my left hand feels warm and... Wet? I look over and see water dripping down... Wait... Oh shit!


    ¡°Messo! Stop the carriage!¡± I call out. The carriage stops and all of us sway to the sides. Laira uncovers her face and stares at me. I take the wet blankets off Ether. We struggle with the last one. His face is red and eyes full of tears.


    ¡°It''s ok, Ether. Relax. It''s alright. Nobody''s mad at you. It''s all good...¡± I pick him up together with the last blanket...


    ¡°What happened?¡± Laira leans in.


    ¡°We scared him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so it''s my fault?¡± She pouts. Now I glare at her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t start again. I said we, didn¡¯t I? It''s both our fault.¡± I open the door and step outside. Percival comes over too.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡± He asks.


    ¡°We had an accident...¡± I point inside and carry the boy behind the first tree. He''s soaked from the waist down...


    ¡°We''ll need a change of clothes!¡± I call out. Laira brings Ether''s bag over and puts it down next to me, without showing herself. She sits down on the other side, with her back to us.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t he say anything?¡± She whispers.


    ¡°Would you have said anything?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡± She mumbles. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for scaring you, Ether...¡± The boy continues to cry without a sound. I finish taking the clothes of him and give him a quick wash over with the water from my pouch...


    ¡°What do you want to do with these?¡± Percy asks pointing to the pile of pillows and blankets...


    ¡°Toss them. We don¡¯t have enough water to deal with them right now.¡± Laira answers.


    ¡°What a waste...¡± Percy mumbles. ¡°Such nice craftmanship too...¡± I smile. Yeah... Messo takes flight. He returns in a flash. A black crow lands next to the carriage. He turns back.


    ¡°There''s a lake nearby. We can take a break there for a bit, if you wish.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it''s not a bad idea...¡± Percy agrees. ¡°We''ve been on the move since this morning. He might be hungry by now too...¡±


    ¡°Then we''ll go to the lake.¡± Laira answers. I finish changing Ether.


    ¡°Don''t worry about it, ok? It¡¯s fine.¡± I tell him patting him on the head. He doesn¡¯t look up.


    ¡°Sounds like a plan.¡± I take the dirty clothes and toss them in with the rest of the pile. Laira carries Ether''s bag.


    ¡°I''ll take those.¡± Messo says.


    ¡°Appreciate it¡±. I nod. ¡°Which way then?¡±


    ¡°Right through there.¡± He points the other way, across the road. ¡°The carriage should be able to follow me.¡±


    ¡°Very well. Tigglia? Mind taking over the reins?¡± Laira asks.


    ¡°No problem.¡± The girl agrees.


    ¡°Alright then. We''re taking a detour.¡± Laira gets back inside the carriage. Ether and I follow her in. Messo ties up the blankets, shifts, grabs them with his talons and flies off. Percy gets back on his borrowed Celodian and moves out first. We move off the road and head down through the forest. I hold Ether in my lap. Neither one of us says anything. The lingering smell itches my nose just a little... Poor kid... It doesn¡¯t take us long to arrive. We feel the carriage stop and step outside.


    ¡°This is nice.¡± Percival says, getting off his mount.


    ¡°It is.¡± Laira quietly agrees. Messo lands and shifts back. He helps Tigglia get the two Celodians out of the reins.


    ¡°Make yourselves comfortable, we''ll take care of this.¡± Tigglia tells us.


    ¡°Sorry for the trouble.¡± I nod.


    ¡°It''s fine. I grew up with two little brothers, half my age. I''ve seen this enough times.¡± She smiles at Ether.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I say again. I put the boy down and take a few of the clean blankets. Laira helps me set them down on the grass. We take out our lunch and sit down. I watch Messo and Tigglia get to work. The girl uses her Ice to make a small pool around the dirty pile of cloth. Messo takes the one small camping pot we had with us, just in case, and starts filling up the pool with water. The water will be freezing... Maybe I should... I see Percival crouch down next to them. He throws a handful of dust in there and holds his hands over the top. A few moments later the water starts splashing around and over the sides. He''s probably doing some Shamanic casting... I should pay attention... Yet my thoughts are completely elsewhere... Ether hasn¡¯t touched any of his food yet. I pat his little head again. He finally takes a look at me. I smile at him. He hesitates and takes a sandwich...


    ¡°Good boy.¡± I tell him gently. Laira continues to pout in her corner.


    ¡°You¡¯re attached to him, aren¡¯t you?¡± I ask quietly. She doesn¡¯t answer. I wait a moment longer and keep going. ¡°You want him to stay with us... That''s why you¡¯re scared, aren¡¯t you? That at any moment they will tell us they found something and we''ll have to let him go? As much as that would be the right thing to do, we don¡¯t want to give him up...¡± I wait again... ¡°We both want the same thing... So why are we fighting?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared of losing my loved ones...¡± She finally answers me... ¡°I can¡¯t do it...¡±


    ¡°Nobody''s going anywhere... We have a lifetime ahead of us..." I tell her... She doesn''t respond... I sigh... "Hope in my next life I''ll be lucky enough to get reborn as a Noxian.¡± I give her a stupid grin.


    ¡°If you do... Will you come find me?¡± She whispers with a sad smile...


    ¡°As many times as you like.¡± I tell her. She laughs under her breath. So do I.


    ¡°I believe the one and only time I ever saw you get mad was when you tried to kill Breeze, back at the cabin...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me. Not my best moment there...¡± She hides her face again behind her knees... I laugh.


    ¡°Is it just me or does this fight seems rather familiar?¡±


    ¡°I think they had a similar one a while back...¡±


    ¡°You know, if they manage to make it work, why can¡¯t we?¡± I look at Laira. Her expression changes for the worst again...


    ¡°Is it because of the RRD?¡± I ask. She nods. Barely, but nods.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to do this? Do you?¡± I ask again.


    ¡°Do I have a choice?¡± She looks away.


    ¡°Of course. We can always walk away from it all.¡± I tell her.


    She shakes her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can anymore...¡± I scootch over closer to her and hug her to me. She doesn¡¯t fight it.


    ¡°Like I said. We have a lifetime ahead of us. Even for the RRD. We get the ball rolling and things will die down. We have 50 years to get ready... We can take all the time we need. No rush. Even with the RRD and the Palace life, we can manage to find plenty of time for us too. There''s no reason why we can''t enjoy ourselves in the process, making precious memories...¡±


    ¡°When did you get all philosophical like that...¡± She mumbles, mocking me softly.


    ¡°Well, you know, a child changes a man... Usually...¡± I tell her resting my head on her shoulder... I feel her body twitch lightly under my arm. I notice Ether dozing off, the little guy barely manages to sit upright. Laira sees him too. She takes the boy into her arms. I kiss her on the forehead and leave them be. I go over to check on the others.


    ¡°How is he?¡± Percival asks, casting another Shamanic spell. By the looks of things, I think he''s using Air to dry the blankets now?


    ¡°Asleep. How are you doing here?¡± I watch Messo and Tigglia take a different wet blanket and hold it out for Percy. The Cleanser mumbles a chant and the dust from his palm float away, right underneath the stretched-out blanket. Slowly, it begins to spiral, picking up speed. The whirlwind lifts the blanket up, forming a dome out of it. the two Noxians, tighten their grips. Percival keeps the chant going for a couple of minutes longer and then gives the spell a final kick. A gust of wind shoots upwards and through the blanket. Messo lets go and Tigglia quickly folds it.


    ¡°I¡¯m practicing some spells. It''s not as easy as it looks. I¡¯m wearing myself out.¡± Percy explains to me.


    ¡°But without his help, we''d be stuck here till morning.¡± Messo tells me.


    ¡°Anything I can help with?¡± I ask.


    ¡°You seem to have enough on your plate...¡± Tigglia gives me a look and then it clicks to me...


    ¡°You heard... Didn¡¯t you...¡± I cover my face with my hand.


    ¡°Not a thing. Did you?¡± Tigglia asks Messo with the same look. The man shakes his head.


    ¡°Sorry about that...¡± I apologize and feel my face flush with embarrassment...


    ¡°There''s nothing for you to apologize for. As long as you two can work through your differences, that''s all that matters...¡± Messo''s face has no emotion on it. He just said something as serious as that so casually that the reality doesn¡¯t want to sink in... Without managing to say anything smart in return, I nod and walk away...


    ¡°Think they will be able to work it out?¡± Breeze''s voice asks me in the dark.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t they. They care about each other plenty. The boy too.¡± I run my fingers through her skin... ¡°He''s not the kind of a man to let a minor inconvenience shatter his resolve.¡±


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a man as well. We want what we want.¡±


    ¡°Be serious.¡± I feel her glare at me. I smile and search for her.


    ¡°He''s not intimidated by her. That''s not something just any man can pull off.¡± My fingertips find her neck.


    ¡°Speaking from experience?¡± She breathes the words onto my skin.


    ¡°Oh, Hell yeah...¡± I exhale and kiss her...


    We arrive at the border in the middle of the night. Laira takes a scroll out and gives it to Messo. Neither one says anything and the guard disappears. A knock on the door wakes me up. I dozed off together with Ether curled up in my lap. Is it day break?


    ¡°State your business.¡± A Cornutese border patrol asks Laira.


    ¡°You¡¯re holding it.¡± She points to the scroll.


    ¡°Sightseeing the Stables? Have you received permission?¡± The man''s tone sounds rather annoyed.


    ¡°Of course, we wouldn¡¯t be here otherwise.¡± Laira plays it cool. Well, tries too... Last night¡¯s tension is in the air still.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see it here.¡± The man answers. Are we in trouble?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think we needed an official seal for this?¡±


    ¡°Missy, what century do you think this is? We''re not letting anyone in without a valid reason. If you don¡¯t have the right paperwork then go home.¡± He tosses our scroll back inside the carriage. ¡°Damn Noxians...¡± He mumbles. Ouch. I¡¯m not a Noxian, but even I feel offended by that.


    ¡°Pardon me, but I did not realize that it''s been so long since the regulations have changed. We mean no disrespect. However, seeing how we are closer to Venatus, than Astri, would you mind letting us through? We can present you with the documents you request in three days when we go back. I would hate to keep the Headmaster Arcus waiting...¡± Laira''s voice emanates a deadly kind of sweetness...


    ¡°Should have thought about that before you left home.¡± The man does not budge.


    ¡°Very well. Give my regards to sir Arcus then. You can be the one to explain to him why his guests never arrived...¡± Is this Arcus sir, really that good of a friend?


    ¡°Three days. I better see some damn seals, missy, otherwise I''ll have you arrested for crossing the border without authorization.¡±


    ¡°Three days. That''s a promise.¡± Laira smiles at the man and our carriage finally moves.


    ¡°You must be good friends with this Arcus character?¡± I mumble.


    ¡°Not at all. I simply asked Glen to look into this last night. I have no clue who the current Headmaster of the Stables is.¡±


    ¡°So, you bluffed? Again?¡± Percival beats me to it.


    ¡°What will you do once we go back? Without the papers?¡± I ask staring at her with a blunt look. She doesn¡¯t say anything... You have to be kidding me... I¡¯d rather not get into another fight with her... Maybe later though... I steal glances at her. Her face is unreadable. I¡¯ve never seen her like this. She keeps quiet... Percival doesn¡¯t say anything either. Ether squirms in my arms now and again, but that''s about all the movement anyone makes... Is this what it feels like? Doubt? Worry? Fear? Anger? What is this? What is it that I am looking at here, exactly? Is she trying to sabotage herself? If we needed more time then why leave so suddenly? We could have stayed, I''m sure... Am I? Do I really know what''s going on? The intricacies of politics? Maybe I¡¯m the one who¡¯s not getting it? The RRD. The Concord. Laira in the middle of it all... Then what about Percival? He''s bright sure, but is that enough? Of course not. Otherwise, neither Laira, nor Breeze or Crile would back him up. If he could pull this off on his own, he''d be going everywhere alone... I¡¯m here only because of Laira. But what is my role here, exactly? What would I have done when the guard told us to go home? Would I have knocked him out and charged through? Of course not. That¡¯s a one-way ticket to get hanged. What other options am I left with? Bribe? Possible, but doubtful... As a rule, most Cornutese resent Primerians... Offering gold here might have backfired... Lying? Playing dumb? Pretending like I had the letter, but it flew away? As if... Maybe bluffing was the best option here? Maybe she knows something that I don¡¯t? Wait. When did I get into the habit of doubting Laira in the first place? When did she ever give me any ground to question her methods? Then again... Then again... I¡¯ve never seen her do this kind of work... Every mission we ever dealt with was a fighting one. Always helping out the locals or teaming up with others because of my Reflector ability... We never had to deal with such delicate topics... Maybe I¡¯m getting ahead of myself here?


    ¡°We''re here.¡± Laira tells us and gets off the carriage as soon as it stops. I look out the window. A giant fence is all I see. I watch Laira walk up to the huge gate. Percival and I take a quick look at each other and get out too. Well, Percy does. It takes me some effort to put the boy down without waking him up. Laira keeps knocking on the gate. Nothing happens. I look around. Nothing. The fence is the only thing here. If this wasn¡¯t there, the entire area would be an open field... A creak reaches my ears. I turn back. A man walks out. A tad older than me? Ish? Maybe older? Forty. Tops.


    ¡°Are you lost?¡± He asks Laira.


    ¡°Depends. Are these the famous Chimera Stables?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The man answers.


    ¡°Then we''re at the right place. Laira Evergreen. Pleased to make your acquittance, Headmaster Arcus. These are my companions. Sir Marcus Tallen and sir Percival Skyrider. We are the representatives of the Concord and the Royal City of Araneum. The three of us are part of the Rebirth Research Division, we are here today to ask you for your assistance regarding the matter, if you¡¯d be so kind as to find some time to speak with us, we''d greatly appreciate it.¡± Wow. She doesn¡¯t waste a single moment.


    ¡°Oh? You don¡¯t say? And what''s in it for us if we agree to help you?¡± The Headmaster¡¯s skeptical. Why wouldn¡¯t he be... Even I have my suspicions¡­


    ¡°You¡¯d be part of the cause to help the greater good?¡± Percival steps in.


    ¡°Ha! Like I care about that! I''ll be long dead before the world gets saved!¡±


    ¡°So, then you don¡¯t care about what happens to your loved ones? Or the generations of them to come? Sure, you''ll be dead, but what about them?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re playing dirty.¡± The Headmaster glares at Laira.


    ¡°I¡¯m only playing by the rules you set, sir.¡±


    ¡°Would it make a difference for you if we told you that the others have already agreed to help?¡± Percy tries to ease the tension.


    ¡°Others? Like who?¡±


    ¡°The rest of the Old Continent.¡± I step in.


    ¡°Cornutora is the only one left... Or would you prefer to be left out?¡±


    ¡°Girl, our nation is based on being left out.¡± He has a point...


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m well aware of your history, however, just imagine the look on their faces once they find out that you guys were the reason for a breakthrough...¡± WHO ARE THEY! The Headmaster''s face changes...


    ¡°Is this an official inquiry from Araneum?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Of course, going through official channels has taken us a bit longer, but since we were in the neighborhood, we figured we could pay you a visit anyways.¡± Laira''s different. Is she trying to copy Breeze?


    ¡°Think about it. If all of the Original Nations agree to help, then the King of Araneum over there, won¡¯t be able to brag about how he "singlehandedly" eradicated the menace, that has plagued the New Continent for centuries... It will be a joined effort...¡± Wow. Ok, I did NOT see that one coming... Who is she? The Headmaster¡¯s face gives him away. The grin is proof. He likes the idea. Yet he hasn¡¯t given us an answer still...


    ¡°I¡¯d prefer to wait for the official request to come through.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Laira shrugs her shoulders. ¡°By the time it comes through, we can just inform the other side that you refused to cooperate... No harm done, of course, as we are simply asking for your help, but if that''s how you wish to handle things here... Tell me, how has been the business lately? I figured Venatus has outlived its glory days, right after the Chimera Surge for that one Rebirth that ended in failure...¡± Oooooh she just went below the belt... The face of the man shifts to contempt in an instant...


    ¡°Come back tomorrow. It''s cleanup day today. Not the best sight to behold...¡± He walks away, leaving us standing by the gate.


    ¡°We appreciate you making time for us in your busy schedule! We''ll be back at noon!¡± Laira yells to the back of the Headmaster. ¡°Looks like we have the rest of the day off. How about we look around the city then?¡± She turns around to us with a smile on her face.


    ¡°What was that all about?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°I took care of it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what Breeze meant when she told you to take care of it...¡± I stare at her.


    ¡°Not that I¡¯m not impressed, Miss, but I do agree with Sir Marcus...¡± Thank you, Percival.


    ¡°I can understand why you¡¯d want to get this over with quickly, but...¡±


    ¡°But nothing.¡± She starts walking back to the carriage. We follow her.


    ¡°The request will be here tomorrow morning. Zaltem is pushing through to get in direct contact with this place. We''re trying to gain access at both points. Here and the Capital. If either one goes through, it will be enough. Their response will be irrelevant by the time we finish our tour. The Headmaster¡¯s pride won''t allow him to go down so easily. The last thing they need is an internal conflict. Even if the Capital will be against it, the Headmaster holds autonomy over the Stables. It''s his decision who he lets in here or not.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve done your homework this time?¡± I keep my gaze locked on Laira''s back.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always known this.¡± She glares at me over her shoulder. ¡°The Stables have always been under the supervision of the same family. Since the establishment of Venatus. The one condition has always been for the Stables to be their own judge, jury and executioner. They almost never let anyone in. Because their beasts are their eldest and, well, basically main trading commodity. The power struggle between the Capital and the Stables has always been tense. But this time we are talking about something in the bigger picture. They won¡¯t disclose their internal affairs to the outside world so easily. They don¡¯t have a choice now, but to comply.¡±


    ¡°I never knew that...¡± Percival thinks it over.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I doubted you.¡± I tell Laira.


    ¡°It''s fine. I didn¡¯t handle the Cobalus situation as well as I should have. Bree... I mean, the Queen was right to be upset with me.¡±


    ¡°That was fast.¡± Tigglia says jumping down from the roof of the carriage.


    ¡°We were told to come back tomorrow.¡± Laira tells her.


    ¡°Apparently it''s cleanup day.¡± Percival adds.


    ¡°How is he?¡± I ask, taking a peek inside.


    ¡°Still asleep.¡± The girl answers. I watch little Ether dream away, curled up on the floor, covered with all of the pillows and blankets. Cute.


    ¡°Well? Now what?¡± I ask someone.


    ¡°Wanna look around?¡± Messo suggests.


    ¡°I¡¯d like that!¡± Percival raises his hand.


    ¡°We need to find a place to stay anyways.¡± Laira says.


    ¡°I know one.¡± Tigglia answers. ¡°It¡¯s in the middle of the city, but its cheap and the food is good too.¡±


    ¡°Sounds great.¡± I nod. Laira, Percival and I get inside the carriage. Tigglia takes the Celodian and Messo takes the reigns. We set off.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to share the bed with me?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I figured Ether will sleep with you...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been away for what? A week? And I all get is a cold peck on the lips? Didn¡¯t you miss me?¡± I pout. A man has his limits...


    ¡°Marcus...¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± I stare at her. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to get it on with me. I can understand that you¡¯re stressed and all, and that Ether''s here too, but you¡¯ve been stand-off-ish with me ever since we picked the boy up. All I want is for us to be in the same bed. I''ll keep my clothes on if that''ll ease your mind!¡±


    ¡°It''s not about that... I do miss you...¡±


    ¡°Sure have a funny way of showing it...¡± I keep pouting... ¡°You won¡¯t let me help and you wont let me near you... I thought that we settled the matter with that fight?¡± I stare at her with a begging look in my eyes... ¡°Is there more? I admit I did doubt your approach earlier today, but you proved me otherwise... I really am sorry I ever doubted you... I figured maybe you picked up on that?¡±


    ¡°I did and it pissed me off. Even if I understand why you¡¯d think that, it doesn¡¯t make me happy knowing it... I mean.¡± She pauses... I don¡¯t pressure her... ¡°Even if I didn¡¯t tell you that I have Diplomatic status, that doesn¡¯t give you the right to question my abilities whether or not I can or really am one. I have been around at least a lifetime longer than you, damn it... You should have realized that I have done these things before... It hurts, you know? Having you doubt me... I feel like you don¡¯t trust me...¡± She clutches her arms around herself...


    ¡°If something as minor as this can shake our trust in each other than how are we suppose to raise a child? We don¡¯t have as much time as those two...¡± She bites her lip with tiny teardrops in the corners of her eyes... An invisible force moves my body for me... I stand up, walk over to her and kiss her. I lock my mouth on hers. I hold her to me with all that I have as I stand on my toes. I''ll stand here for an eternity if that''s what it takes for her to respond... I kiss her deeper... A twitch. Her arms drop down from her chest. She hugs me back. Kissing me. Finally! I tighten my embrace around her. She responds. We kiss for what seems forever. I missed this feeling... I let her lips go.


    ¡°Did you know? You have a habit of overthinking the small stuff...¡± I tell her softly. I see her take in a gulp of air. I stop her with a kiss. ¡°Let me finish...¡± She closes her mouth.


    ¡°Do you know what a fatal mistake those two made? Not talking to each other... Time means nothing if it''s wasted on bitter silence...¡± I trace her lips with my thumb... ¡°We have the advantage because we don¡¯t have enough time...¡± I gaze up at her eyes... I brush off a tear of her lashes...


    ¡°All we have to do is talk to each other... It''s that simple... Don¡¯t jump to conclusions on your own... Don¡¯t make decisions alone... Don¡¯t keep things to yourself... Tell me. Talk to me. Say something... I don¡¯t want to waste what little time I have with you fighting...¡± I rest my hand on the side of her face... I sweep my thumb across her cheek...


    ¡°Words are meaningless if not used at the right time... Because there is such a thing as too late... Don¡¯t hide from me because you¡¯re worried about hurting my feelings. It''s a lot more painful to find out how ignorantly happy I have been all by myself while you were quietly suffering by yourself... Can you promise me that much?¡± I gaze into her as softly as I can...


    She nods. ¡°Promise...¡± One word is all I need... I hug her to me...


    We return to the Stables the next day at noon sharp. To my surprise the Headmaster greets us with the gates wide open. Suddenly, my happy mood evaporates like a drop of water. This feels ominous somehow...


    ¡°Good day, sir!¡± Laira greets him stepping out.


    ¡°I received your request.¡±


    ¡°How wonderful! It made it in time!¡± Laira''s cheerfulness feels forced...


    ¡°Barely.¡± Sir Arcus answers bluntly. Ok, clearly this won¡¯t be easy. I step out too. I look at Ether again.


    ¡°It might be scary for you. If you want to stay here with Tigglia and Messo, you can, ok?¡± He shakes his little head. I sigh.


    ¡°Ok. Let¡¯s go.¡± I take him into my arms. ¡°But let me know if anything¡¯s wrong, deal?¡± He nods. Right. I set him down and take his hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± The Headmaster notices our boy.


    ¡°Problem?¡± I stop and stare. He doesn¡¯t say anything for a long moment.


    ¡°Why is there a Cornutese child with you?¡± The man asks.


    ¡°I adopted him.¡± I answer. Laira will have to forgive me. I¡¯m not sure how it will look if we announce our relationship here... Araneum is one thing... ¡°This is part of his learning experience. Not sure when we''ll get another chance to visit the Land of Race.¡± I pause again. ¡°Like I said: problem?¡±


    ¡°None.¡± The Headmaster throws me a nasty look. What¡¯s his problem? I glance over at Ether. He''s in his shy mode. No surprise. I''d be too. I quickly take a look at Laira too, while we have the chance. She''s unreadable. Great. Here comes another fight... And after last night''s exceptional performance of mine too...


    ¡°Well? What is it that you want to know?¡± The Headmaster asks. Leading us inside the Stables.


    ¡°Before that. I''d appreciate it if you could put a seal on that request. I need to take it back as proof we didn¡¯t break into this place.¡± She actually asked for it... The Headmaster hesitates.


    ¡°Wait here.¡± He orders us and leaves us. I look around. A path surrounded by cages from both sides lies in front of us... Talk about intimidating... Ether shows himself to take a look too. I watch him for a moment. He doesn¡¯t seem scared. Good. I guess. Sir Arcus returns with a scroll in hand.


    ¡°Is this what you want?¡± He hands the scroll over to Laira. She checks the paper.


    ¡°Perfect. Appreciate the trouble.¡± She smiles at the man. Such a deadly grin she has on her face... And not in the kind of a fun way...


    ¡°We''d like to know more about how you treat disease infected parts?¡± Percival bravely cuts into the silence.


    ¡°We don¡¯t. It¡¯s too much of a hassle. If the body''s damaged then it''s damaged. It takes too much time and effort to fix it. We simply get rid of them.¡± Well that''s not the answer we''re looking for...


    ¡°In what way do you dispose of them?¡± The kid doesn¡¯t flinch.


    ¡°Burn ''em. We have Fire Mages working day and night in shifts just for that.¡±


    ¡°Why the Mages?¡± I ask.


    ¡°We need extremely high temperatures for the cremation. If we would use wood for that, we''d have no trees left. These are remains we''re talking about.¡±


    ¡°I see. Is there some sort of a different way you detect a disease in the corpse? I mean, how do you determine if the parts are usable?¡± Good thing we have our Curious-Cleanser with us. He''s quick to analyze information.


    ¡°Not really. It''s the usual routine. Spell scanning and other signs, discoloration, inflammation, the usual. If possible we prefer to have data collected on the living animal. We use that whenever we can.¡± Sir Arcus explains.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make it easier for people to lie?¡° Percy asks. Ha! I thought so too.


    ¡°Only complete idiots do that.¡± The Headmaster stops by one of the cages. ¡°We have a few supply spots from around the continent. We don¡¯t take walk in offers anymore.¡± The beast inside of the cage has wings of an eagle, front paws of a lion, body and a head of a wolf... They really do mash up whatever in here... Taking a living creature or barely alive one and using it as basis to bind other creatures'' body parts to it, creating Man-Eating Beasts... Forbidden Magic is scary for a reason... Each cage has a different creature inside of it. I watch Ether. He seems to be managing... Brave little soldier. I smile.


    ¡°Do you store any of the parts for later?¡± Laira asks.


    ¡°Some. We try not to waste the good parts, though.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I follow up on that.


    ¡°It takes excellent precision to keep the Ice at the right temperature, not to cause frost bite to the parts. If the Ice is too thin, it defrosts too fast. Overdo it and it will cause more damage than good. It won''t be just the surface that gets ruined, but the inside as well.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. You need the veins and nerves intact as well. Otherwise the parts wouldn¡¯t bind? Is that right?¡± Percival says.


    ¡°Something like that.¡± Sir Arcus answers. I can¡¯t decide whether he sounds bored or annoyed.


    ¡°How long do you usually keep the parts iced like that?¡± Laira steps in again.


    ¡°A week.¡±


    ¡°Would it be possible to observe the procedure in action?¡± Percival asks carefully. The man does not say anything. He turns around and continues walking. We follow him inside a giant barn. A magic circle covers the floor. I¡¯ve never seem one before, but it''s clear. It can¡¯t be anything else... Casters stand at its eight points. Body parts lay in the middle of the circle. Chanting fills the air. I feel the magic power surge through me. I hold my breath... Black and red lightning dance upwards from the circle. The body parts in the middle move on their on, as if dragged by an invisible thread... I feel something grip me. Ether hides himself behind me. I pat his head. The crackling sound gets louder... A flash of dark red light fills the barn, a loud crack and silence follow... Someone walks over to the middle of the circle. A few moments later the creature stands up. Swaying to the sides like a newborn fawn... Wow...


    ¡°Fascinating!¡± The kid whispers. ¡°Without the live creature as the base - this would never work... Now I understand...¡± Our Cleanser begins his quiet rumbling. Right. This spell. It doesn¡¯t bring back the dead... You need a living sacrifice to make it work... Like I said. Forbidden Magic is scary for a reason...


    ¡°Satisfied?¡± Sir Arcus glares at us once we step back outside.


    ¡°Plenty!¡± The kid does not know how to contain his excitement... ¡°I mean.¡± He clears his throat. ¡°I am grateful for the once in a lifetime opportunity.¡± He bows.


    ¡°Anything else?¡± The Headmaster asks us.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Laira plays it dumb. I know what I said last night, but IS IT A GOOD IDEA?


    ¡°Do you have everything you need, Percival?¡± She says.


    ¡°I believe so.¡± The kid nods.


    ¡°Then get out.¡± Talk about hospitality.


    ¡°The Rebirth Research Division thanks you for your cooperation on behalf of the Royal City of Araneum.¡± I make the effort to make myself somewhat useful... I bow. To my surprise so do the rest three. Even Ether...


    ¡°You have our gratitude for sharing invaluable knowledge. We''ll be sure to make good use of it.¡± Laira adds the finishing touch. The Headmaster almost rolls his eyes at us.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get eaten on the way out.¡± The man walks back inside the Horror Barn. Our party makes its way back to the outside world. Two guards meet us by the gate. They let us pass without a single word. The sound of the closing gates is the only farewell we get. Fine with me... We get back to our carriage.


    ¡°Where to next?¡± Messo asks.


    ¡°Home. If possible. Here.¡± Laira hands the scroll to the guard. ¡°This should make it faster, this time... I hope.¡± Messo nods.


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    ¡°Would it be a problem for you take the mount to the border?¡± Percival asks Tigglia.


    ¡°Not at all.¡± She hops on the black and white striped tiger-horse mix. This is the first time I take another look at the creature... We get in and move out. The sight of what happened back there haunts me... My mind wonders between the borders of reality... Questioning it...


    ¡°Miss? Your face is rather scary looking.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I was thinking about something.¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be Medical application of the Chimera making we just saw? Would it?¡± Percy speaks calmly yet I detect a hint of worry. Laira laughs. What I miss?


    ¡°How am I not surprised you figured it out.¡± She says.


    ¡°That¡¯s because I was wondering the same... Except that.¡±


    ¡°That using this on actual people would be a lot more gruesome. We have races, ages, genders to consider...¡±


    ¡°And history...¡± Percy adds.


    ¡°Yes, that too...¡± Laira agrees. ¡°Although, it did give me an idea... It''s probably on the same level as restoring Breeze back to life... No. Above that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, do share!¡± The kid shines with enthusiasm. I smile. I have to wonder what could be more difficult than that? But I keep my mouth shut. This is beyond me. I let the two medical geniuses'' brainstorm. I feel Ether climb into my lap. I hug him to me. Soon enough the both of us doze off...

 14. The Red and the Blue

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to come meet us at the entrance every time.¡± Laira says leaving the carriage.


    ¡°It''s our pleasure.¡± Breeze smiles. Somehow that smile seems different. Right...


    ¡°How did he do?¡± Crile nods to Ether.


    ¡°Quite well, he didn¡¯t get scared of the beasts.¡± I answer proudly. To my surprise Ether hugs Crile''s legs. It lasts an instant only, but I definitely saw it. He lets go and does the same to Breeze.


    ¡°Well now, how lovely.¡± She manages to steal a quick stroke of his little head before the boy rushes over to hide behind Laira again, this time even his hiding feels different. I get it...


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting that.¡± Crile snaps out of it. ¡°Somehow, I feel embarrassed now.¡±


    ¡°He managed to ambush you, an Assassin of your caliber should be ashamed...¡± Breeze pokes fun at Crile. I can barely contain myself...


    ¡°I¡¯ll let it slide just cause you¡¯re the mother of my children.¡± He throws a quick glare, followed by a smile. I find it somewhat amazing how ridiculously effortlessly they make it seem...


    ¡°Well? How was it? Did you enjoy your Celodian experience?¡± The Assassin greets our Cleanser.


    ¡°It was different, for sure.¡± The kid nods. ¡°But yes, I have to admit, I enjoyed it.¡± A quick redness flashes on his face.


    ¡°As long as you liked it, I''m happy.¡± Breeze comes over too. ¡°And? How did you find Venatus?¡±


    ¡°Quite extraordinary! I¡¯m so happy I was able to use this opportunity to visit the Original Nations. The Stone Archives in Primerias, The Marble Palace in Noxanda, the Sand Castle Towers in Cobalus and the Earth Cave Array in Venatus! Each land is nothing short of otherworldly!¡± Percy gets so easily excited it''s adorable to watch. We follow him in as he shares his impressions.


    ¡°Not to mention the Greenhouses and the Stables! Such an honor!¡± The kid stops and bows to the Royal couple at the front. ¡°Words cannot express how grateful I am to you, Commander, for taking a chance on me. If you hadn¡¯t accepted me into Team Deathbreeze I would have never had this experience of a lifetime.¡± Ok, that caught me by surprise. Judging by the faces of the others - same.


    ¡°You only have yourself to thank.¡± Breeze puts a hand on the kid''s shoulder. He looks up. ¡°You were the one to approach us that time.¡±


    ¡°It took guts.¡± Crile points out. I''ll say... Percival blushes again.


    ¡°Please just let me thank you.¡± He mumbles shyly, causing a wave of laughter.


    ¡°In that case, you''re welcome.¡± Breeze gives the kid a warm, motherly smile.


    ¡°Percival keeps calling you Commander, you ok with that?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°Oh, I stopped trying to correct him... He tried his best for the duration of our trip, but I guess after that, he was away from us for too long and went back to his old habits instead. I wish he''d loosen up... He''s not a child anymore...¡± Breeze says.


    ¡°Says you, I kinda like how respectful he is.¡± Crile joins in.


    ¡°Well sure, I appreciate it too, but I feel like he''s over-glorifying us sometimes.¡± Breeze pushes the issue.


    ¡°I can understand why you¡¯d see it that way.¡± Crile answers.


    ¡°I worry about him though... I wish he would experience life a bit more freely...¡± She continues. Why does it feel like the conversation belongs to those two only?


    ¡°Is that the mother in you talking?¡± The Assassin continues with his shenanigans.


    ¡°Are you making fun of me again?¡± She glares and Crile laughs.


    ¡°Not much in particular...¡± He shrugs his shoulders. The kid is in a daze. He probably isn''t sure if he needs to say something here. Crile notices his puzzled expression.


    ¡°At ease.¡± He ruffs up the kid¡¯s hair. Another wave. We go straight to the royal bedroom. Breeze makes herself comfortable on the bed. Feeding time. Crile hands her the twins, one at a time.


    ¡°Now then, Laira. Your report?¡± Crile gets into his King mode. I¡¯ve seen him like that twice now.


    ¡°Yes, milord.¡± Laira bows. ¡°I handled the situation properly this time. We had a few snags, but luckily for us, they did not cause any inconveniences and we were able to carry out our mission smoothly. I admit I made the mistake of not double checking the new regulations that Venatus have set in place, for visits of such degree, but all was resolved. I did not resort to any of the previous antics that had brought you shame. I hope that with this, I have redeemed myself in your eyes.¡± She remains bowed.


    ¡°Well done.¡± Crile says. ¡°You''re allowed to keep your standing.¡± Laira straightens out.


    ¡°Thank you, my Lords.¡±


    ¡°You are also allowed to relinquish your status, should you wish.¡± Breeze speaks from behind the bed screen.


    ¡°We''re not pressuring you to keep it.¡± Crile takes over. Laira shakes her head.


    ¡°It''s fine. I''d prefer to keep it, if that''s allowed.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Crile nods.


    ¡°That was slightly nerve wrecking...¡± Percy exhales.


    ¡°You too, huh?¡± I laugh.


    ¡°Well? What did you find out then?¡± Breeze asks us.


    ¡°Not much.¡± Laira answers.


    ¡°Basically, nothing about diseases.¡± I add. ¡°They don¡¯t bother with infected goods.¡±


    ¡°Somehow I¡¯m not surprised.¡± Crile remains standing between us and the bed.


    ¡°But we did gather valuable information.¡± Percival raises his hand.


    ¡°Right, you two were discussing it on the way back.¡± I vaguely remember hearing something I have no understanding of.


    ¡°Oh, well that''s fitting too.¡± Crile''s tone changes. ¡°Primerians and Cornutese value information above all, afterall. Sharing it does not come easy.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Percival agrees. ¡°That is why I can¡¯t say that we came back empty handed. The Miss and I have an idea how we could apply the Chimera making in medicine. Nothing as gruesome as you might think!¡± He adds that part as soon as he sees the look on the Assassins face.


    ¡°Oh? Sounds interesting. I''d love to hear more about that.¡± Breeze says.


    ¡°Well, it''s an idea. I''ll work on it more once we get back. For now, lets just say, that I''d only be borrowing the idea behind the Chimera making. I believe this will take a series of experiments before we can have anything tangible.¡± Laira answers.


    ¡°Now I''m even more curious.¡± Breeze''s voice reaches us again. ¡°Can you take her, please?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Crile walks behind the screen. He steps out again with the little Reina in his arms. ¡°Laira?¡±


    ¡°Can I?¡± She stands up before he answers. Crile smiles and gives her the baby. Aahh why must you torture me so... That image... I burn it into my brain...


    ¡°Please take her.¡± She whispers. Voice trembling.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Crile asks taking his daughter back.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± She nods and kneels down to hug Ether. Nobody says anything. I watch Ether hug her back with a bright smile on his face. Laira lets him go and takes him into her lap as she sits back down.


    ¡°Well, since we''re already in the mood, Percival? Don¡¯t you think the Godfather should hold his godchildren?¡± Crile walks over to our Cleanser.


    ¡°Huh? Are you sure? I...¡± Crile sits down next to the kid. I put my arms out in a half circle.


    ¡°Like this.¡± I tell Percy. He copies me. ¡°Slowly now.¡± Crile places his girl in the Cleansers embrace.


    ¡°Oh wow.¡± The kid stares with a frozen expression on his face, something between an awe and a damn? I smile.


    ¡°She''s heavy...¡± He says. I laugh.


    ¡°Yet another one calling my baby girl fat...¡± Crile slaps his palm over his face, shaking his head...


    ¡°What no! That''s not!¡±''


    ¡°Relax, I said the same.¡± I wave to him to calm down.


    ¡°Would like to switch them out?¡± Breeze shows herself with Xander in her arms.


    ¡°Oh, sure.¡± The kid nods and the girl''s father takes her back into his embrace, laying her back into the cradle. Breeze sits down in Crile¡¯s place. Percival continues sitting with his arms the same way. Waiting. The boy''s mother lays her son down into the kid''s arms.


    ¡°Oh no, I take it back, he is heavy...¡± The Cleanser says and I roar with laughter again.


    ¡°He has his father''s appetite after all.¡± Crile says with a smug grin. I can¡¯t believe he said it...


    ¡°Ugh, I can¡¯t believe you said it out loud...¡± Breeze gives the man a disappointed look.


    ¡°What''s it like to be a father?¡± Huh? Percival has a serious look on him... Come to think of it. I''d like to know that too... Crile takes a moment to answer.


    ¡°Well. It''s different from when you¡¯re with your lover in bed and wish for time to stop, so you could just stay like that, in that ecstasy, forever. It''s more like anxiety and anticipation mixed together. You want to see more of them. Like you look at them as they are and you can¡¯t wait to see them all grown up. You can¡¯t wait to teach them things, watch them explore, see their reactions...¡± He gazes over at his son... ¡°But at the same time, you want to preserve these moments you have with them as they are, because you know, they won¡¯t ever be like this again...¡± He takes his eyes of the baby and looks at us. ¡°Or at least that''s how I feel.¡±


    ¡°Is that how it is for you too, Mistress?¡± Percival asks Breeze.


    ¡°It''s similar...¡± She too takes a long moment to gaze at her son... ¡°I may not know what will happen in the future, but at the same time, I cannot remember my life before them... They''ve become my entire world. Nothing else matters to me just us and our kids.¡± Breeze raises her eyes to us. ¡°I worry about them hating me. I don¡¯t think I could live with that. I love them more than life.¡± She takes a quick breath. ¡°Or at least that''s how I feel.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Percival says, handing Xander back to his mother.


    ¡°Anything else you¡¯re curious about?¡± She asks the kid. He shakes his head.


    ¡°That was plenty, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Well, I am curious about something, but after what you guys just said, I''d be ruining the mood.¡± I confess.


    ¡°No need to be shy, what is it?¡± Crile urges me.


    ¡°Where do Celodians come from? It''s been on my mind ever since we saw the Ritual.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Breeze sits down next to Crile, on the couch by their bed. ¡°Yes. You are correct. They are man-made.¡±


    ¡°So, you offer dead body parts in exchange for mode of transportation?¡± I can¡¯t hide my disgust.


    ¡°I can understand why you''d think that, but no. We breed them. The Cornutese Forbidden Magic was the basis for our mounts, but luckily for us, the tiger-horses are able to breed.¡± Crile answers.


    ¡°Have you ever seen a baby Celodian? They are the cutest!¡± Laira squeals.


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± I take a second to process this. ¡°Ok, no questions anymore. Sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°It''s fine.¡± Crile brushes it off. ¡°Riding a regular sized horse isn¡¯t easy, neither for the horse, nor for the rider. We had to improvise.¡± He adds.


    ¡°Makes sense. Next topic?¡± I try to play it off.


    ¡°I was thinking.¡± Laira begins. ¡°What are the chances we could get the King to agree to let us make regular visits to the Old Continent?¡±


    ¡°Not much, I''d say." Crile''s quick to answer. ¡°Not without a reason, at least.¡±


    ¡°What if the reason is "to show good faith" to our Rebirth-Alliance members, say every five years? The whole trip here and back plus time spent... It would take roughly six months, if we want to take it easy sooo...¡±


    ¡°I see. You want to use this as an excuse to come visit?¡± Breeze catches on. ¡°Five years is a lot. The King is no spring chicken either. You¡¯re gonna have to think of how to make his "authority" for this last too. Visiting the Original Nations, reporting back to them with new development for the Rebirth would make a sound excuse.¡±


    ¡°That''d be nice. We''d get to see the kids grow up too.¡± I add. I see Laira blush. She cares more than she lets on...


    ¡°You''ll have to convince the King.¡± Crile says. ¡°Only this time, do try to do it without any dirty tricks.¡± He gives Laira a look.


    ¡°Will try.¡± She answers with a grin.


    ¡°Now then. What''s our back up plan for the disease part?¡± Breeze steers us back on track.


    ¡°We''ll have to get in touch with lady Hannah''s successor. I''ll have Zaltem get a move on that one tomorrow night.¡± Laira says.


    ¡°You''re working the kid to the bone, I see.¡± Crile points it out.


    ¡°We have to show the King that we''re not here on vacation.¡± Laira makes a good point too. ¡°Speaking of, I wanna leave before Cobalus ships their first order. I think it would show good faith if we escort their goods from Ballista.¡±


    ¡°That means we leave in less than two weeks?¡± I ask.


    ¡°More or less. We can take a ship from Ravenna, it''ll be quicker. But just to be on the safe side, may I ask to dispatch someone over there? To keep us informed?¡± Laira makes the suggestion.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°Of course. We have trading rights with all of the Nations here. There shouldn''t be a problem having someone as a look out.¡± Breeze answers.


    ¡°We''ll look into it tomorrow morning.¡± Crile adds.


    ¡°Perfect.¡± Laira smiles.


    ¡°Percival? You¡¯ve been weirdly quiet.¡± I nudge our Cleanser.


    ¡°Ah, well, I was thinking about the disease treatment. I¡¯m frustrated with myself for having so little knowledge of them...¡±


    ¡°I knew I was worried about him for a reason.¡± Breeze gives us a motherly sigh.


    ¡°He''s too responsible for his own good.¡± Crile agrees.


    ¡°Percival, you¡¯ve done enough.¡± Laira adds. ¡°Take the time to rest and leave it to me. You can worry your head about it again after we return to Araneum. Alright?¡± The kid hesitates.


    ¡°If that''s alright?¡±


    ¡°I insist.¡± Laira pressures him. Our Cleanser nods.


    ¡°Good boy.¡± Breeze mocks him.


    ¡°Well then, guess this is as good of time as any to tell you something.¡± Crile begins.


    ¡°More like ask you.¡± Breeze adds.


    ¡°Oh? Something happen?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Not yet.¡± Crile smiles. Ok? The three of us steal confused glances at each other.


    ¡°We''d like for all of you to attend our wedding ceremony before you leave.¡± Breeze says. Huh?


    ¡°Can we!¡± Laira jumps out of her chair, with Ether holding on for dear life around her neck. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this FOREVER!! I need a dress!¡± She gets excited the same way Percy does.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one...¡± Crile murmurs coyly... Riiight.


    ¡°Well excuse me...¡± Breeze pouts.


    ¡°Is it ok? I mean for me to attend too?¡± The kid mumbles.


    ¡°Of course, we''d be honored to have such a future VIP of Araneum attend.¡± Crile answers. Our Cleanser blushes and doesn¡¯t argue.


    ¡°When are you having it?¡± I ask.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t decided, but we can have it two days before you leave. There''s not much that needs to be done anyways.¡± Breeze says.


    ¡°Of course, there is! The four of us need to do some shopping!¡± Laira disagrees with gusto.


    ¡°Four?¡± I look at her a bit confused.


    ¡°Ether needs something fancy to wear too!¡± She answers as if I was the one being ridiculous here. I roll my eyes.


    ¡°You just wanted an excuse to shop.¡± I rumble under my nose.


    ¡°Maybe a little.¡± She doesn¡¯t even try to hide it! Breeze and Crile laugh together.


    ¡°I''ll be looking forward to seeing you dressed in Noxian attire.¡± He gives me a look. Oh boy...


    ¡°What do you mean she refused!!¡± Laira screams out in my sleep. I shake my head and look around. She''s pacing around the room in her night robe... See-through... Mm... I grin. Gotta love the Noxian fashion...


    ¡°Does she not know what¡¯s at stake? How can she refuse! Did you approach her by yourself?¡± Aah. Issues on the other end...


    ¡°Get the King involved then! His obsession should work in our favor!¡± Silence. ¡°What? What do you mean they refuse to...¡± She puts her hand over her face... Seems this is more serious than it looks. I sit up. My eyes are finally able to focus. I notice Ether watching Laira with a worried expression on his little face. I wave to him. He climbs down his bed and rushes over to ours. I pick him up and set him down on the bed.


    ¡°Fine! We''ll leave it alone till our return. Damned geezers...¡± She frowns. ¡°One other thing though. Begin training the Ravos and Earth Shamans to enclose the ships in Vines. Yes. Just like that time. No need to pull them underwater. Forming a protective dome should be enough. I''ll explain why later. But you have till our return to practice. I¡¯m putting you and Aodynna in charge. Consider this part of the RRD mission. Oh, and before I forget. Please have a ship of ours docked in Crepitus in about four weeks? I''ll give an exact date later, but keep it in mind.¡± She pauses. ¡°Thank you, Zaltem. That will be all.¡± She exhales hard.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did I wake you?¡±


    ¡°Maybe a little.¡± I grin. ¡°Trouble?¡±


    ¡°Some.¡± She sits down on the bed. Ether carefully approaches her. She picks him up.


    ¡°What¡¯s that about the domes and ships?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Percy''s idea. Breeze cast a dome around their ship on their way to Crepitus that time, along with some help from Zaltem and Aodynna. Together the three of them managed to protect the ship and the crew from the Rebellion, by pulling the ship underwater...¡± Yikes...


    ¡°Breeze can be scary sometimes...¡± I whisper.


    ¡°I''ll say...¡± She agrees. ¡°Anyways. That''s also the reason why I want to travel together with the goods from Arrdus.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense. Think you can manage? Replicating?¡±


    ¡°For our sake I hope so...¡± She looks worried. I kiss her on the cheek.


    ¡°Shall we lazy around a bit more?¡±


    ¡°Why not.¡± She smiles at me and the three of us cuddle up for a snooze.


    ¡°Really? I wasn¡¯t expecting that.¡± Breeze says.


    ¡°Neither was I.¡± Laira admits.


    ¡°Maybe she''s afraid of competition?¡± Crile suggests.


    ¡°In what? Saving our world as we know it?¡± Laira rolls her eyes. ¡°I mean.¡±


    ¡°My lords. Pardon the intrusion.¡± Glen emerges from the shadows.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Crile says.


    ¡°It''s ready.¡± The guard says and slips back into the darkness.


    ¡°Well, that''s nice of them.¡± Breeze stands up. ¡°Come on, there''s something you need to see.¡± Crile gets up too. The rest of us hesitate for a moment, but follow their lead.


    ¡°Whats this about?¡± Laira asks.


    ¡°You''ll see in a minute.¡± Crile answers. She looks at me. I shrug my shoulders. We get out onto the Balcony above the front square, right where the entrance is. A giant statue stands in front of us. A man and a... Oh.


    ¡°I was wondering why it was closed off...¡± Laira speaks quietly. ¡°How wonderful.¡±


    ¡°Is that your father?¡± Percy asks.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Breeze answers.


    ¡°I see. They look good together.¡± The kid points out. I pick Ether up and let him take a look too.


    ¡°She belonged to him before I inherited her.¡± Breeze keeps her voice low. Our party stands quietly, gazing upon the marble statue of Noxanda''s first King - Sir Wykren and his loyal mount - Lady Emerald. The saber has been carefully incorporated, circling around the legs and the back of the great warrior. Her face frozen in an eternal roar. Just like the war cry coming out of the Bladed Wind, as he stands guard, with his axe held high, above his head and his sword firmly planted between him and Emerald. I notice people laying flowers by their feet.


    ¡°Is that part of the unveiling?¡± I ask, gesturing down.


    ¡°Something like it.¡± Crile answers.


    ¡°They are paying their respects.¡± Breeze adds.


    ¡°Why only blue and red flowers?¡± Percival asks.


    ¡°It''s our funeral tradition. Red for the blood and blue for the sky. It symbolizes our origins and our lives.¡± Laira explains.


    ¡°From stars to dust?¡± I whisper.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Breeze answers.


    ¡°Ours usually involve white flowers.¡± Our Cleanser mentions. ¡°I always thought it was too bland somehow...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you never question certain things until you see them in a different light...¡± I agree.


    ¡°By the way, that reminds me.¡± Laira says. ¡°I should take some of the seeds back with me, to plant them by the grave-tree back at the cabin too.¡±


    ¡°That would be wonderful.¡± Breeze smiles at her. Right. We had a tree planted in the back yard, by the swing in memory of Emerald and Tonso, while Breeze was in her coma... Laira didn¡¯t want to include Burla in, but since there are no names engraved anywhere - there''s no difference. It was our way of showing respect for our fallen comrades. Apparently, the tree that the swing hangs down from is for Amana Starlight. Crile planted it long ago... It''s a Noxian tradition - planting trees in memory of those that have no body to bury... Although, Laira said that it even though that''s how the tradition started out at first, it doesn¡¯t have to be like that... It''s simply a sign of grief, respect and love... I wonder if I will get a tree like that someday?


    ¡°Right, we''re going!¡± Laira announces suddenly.


    ¡°Going where?¡± I ask, coming back from my wonders.


    ¡°Shopping!¡±


    ¡°Now?¡± I look at her.


    ¡°Yes! Now!¡± She takes me and Percival by the arms and drag us after her.


    ¡°Um, a little help here, please!¡± The Cleanser calls out over his shoulder.


    ¡°Have fun!¡± Breeze waves at us.


    ¡°Traitors!¡± I call out. Crile''s roaring laughter is all I get in return.


    The four of us come back late evening. The Royal couple awaits us at their bedroom with the tables already set. Sir Marcus and I put the bags down in the corner. The Lady is busy with the twins.


    ¡°Well, how was it?¡± The Sir does not hide his amusement for the situation.


    ¡°Miss Laira is merciless...¡± I have no strength left in me to even lie out of respect... ¡°I never had to try on so many different things...¡± I slump down in my usual spot.


    ¡°Same here...¡± The Mage raises a hand stretching out in his chair.


    ¡°Oh, quit your complaining.¡± The Miss puts little Ether down in his place and covers him with a blanket. ¡°How often do you get the privilege of attending a private wedding ceremony for the Royalty.¡±


    ¡°Even if!¡± Sir Marcus straightens out. ¡°Don¡¯t you think we bought too much?¡± He points to the bags.


    ¡°No. Araneum doesn¡¯t have half of my favorite things. Shipping the goods there is considered too expensive, so they make them locally, but the true craftsmanship can only be found here.¡± The Miss explains.


    ¡°I agree.¡± I find the armor to be better here in Astri. The Lady shows herself.


    ¡°So, the armor that you wore to battle?¡± I begin...


    ¡°Yes, it was from here.¡± The Lady answers my question before I can finish it.


    ¡°Interesting.¡± I mumble.


    ¡°Pardon me, but I don¡¯t think that was the only reason for splurging...¡± Sir Marcus gives the Miss a certain look. ¡°I¡¯m pretty convinced you simply got too excited and couldn¡¯t stop.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Sir Crile smiles.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± The Mage nods. ¡°More than half of everything in there is for Ether and not just for now, she got all kinds of things for later too...¡± The Sir and the Lady laugh.


    ¡°Well now, that explains it...¡± Commander says smiling warmly.


    ¡°Oh hush...¡± The Miss blushes.


    ¡°No wonder he looks worn out.¡± Sir Crile teases the Miss one last time. Watching all of them like that... I can¡¯t help, but love them... How fortunate I am to be born a mere Primerian... I won¡¯t have to watch my loved ones die... Over and over again... Eternal life doesn¡¯t seem all that great when you think about it...


    ¡°Earth to Percival! Helloooo!¡± I feel a hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I come back. I hear a heavy collective sigh. ¡°Did I miss something?¡± I ask looking around. Laughter. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing nothing, you got lost in thought again.¡± The Miss tells me.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± I murmur.


    ¡°It''s fine.¡± The Lady answers. ¡°It''s you, after all, there''s nothing wrong with being you.¡± She smiles at me. Damn it. Every time I see that smile it makes me want to curl up in her lap and cry... I clench my fist tightly. Lucky Ether and stupid me. I let my fist go. True power doesn¡¯t lie within magic...


    Laira slips into her dress. She lets down her lilac hair and takes one last brush through the waves with her hands.


    ¡°How do I look?¡± She asks fixing her dress. The pale, almost nonexistent blush of a color makes her rosy skin shine even more than usual... The drizzled shimmer, going half way down her chest and curving to the back gives off an impression of a falling star...


    ¡°Magical.¡± One word is all I manage. She turns around and I see pure surprise in her yellow eyes. A knock on the door snaps me out of it.


    ¡°I need some help...¡± Percy''s voice reaches us. I walk over and let the kid in.


    ¡°I''m sorry to bother you, but I¡¯m not sure if I got this right...¡± He finally gazes up and freezes.


    ¡°Beautiful...¡± He whispers.


    ¡°See, Percy thinks so too.¡± I grin proudly. Laira comes over to us.


    ¡°Thank you, let me see now.¡± She takes the ribbon from the boy and ties it around his neck in a loose fashion. I fix the collar for him too. The grey colored light armor suits the kid.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He nods. ¡°I have a question.¡± Doesn¡¯t he always? I roll my eyes with a smile.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Laira says, messing around with the kid''s locks.


    ¡°Why are we wearing light gear? Usually for occasions like these we¡¯d wear high class robes and such? Encrusted with gemstones and whatnot? And the colors would be vibrant, but here it¡¯s pale, rather plain? Although the silky smooth material is rather nice to the touch¡­¡± Our Cleanser pats himself down. I chuckle.


    ¡°I believe that was more than just one question¡­¡± I tell the kid. ¡°But actually yeah.¡± I take another look at my almost colorless gear.


    ¡°Believe it or not but weddings are a rare thing for Noxians, we usually don¡¯t bother with that. However, during times of war, we adapted this tradition. The attire is based on that. Back then, there weren¡¯t that many options what to wear and when everyone is in battle ready mode - it seemed natural to wear your gear, just in case. Over time we went from battle gear to something lighter, fancier, but we kept the concept.¡± Laira gives us a quick history lesson. ¡°As for the color - you¡¯ll know later. It''s about time anyways.¡± Laira gives the both of us a coy smile.


    ¡°Is it for the same reason why the ceremony takes place at night too?¡± Percy hammers in another question. Laira keeps the same smile.


    ¡°Guess we''ll know that later too.¡± I roll my eyes, again. Ether comes over in his barely blue-ish-green-ish gear and Laira takes him by the hand. His dark hair is growing out nicely in a funny looking fuzz on his little head. His sickly pale skin is beginning to show signs of a healthy shade of beige, maybe even a slight tan... Even his grey eyes seem brighter lately. Thanks to our Royal chefs, the boy has been putting on some weight too. The bony walking skeleton is slowly turning into a child... We leave our room and walk through the Palace, all the way to the other end. I see a giant door gaping open. We step inside. Well, outside, apparently. An area with no roof opens up in sight with trees surrounding it. Red lanterns hang in waves on the branches, barely lighting the ground. I notice something like a tomb stone under one of the trees, a bit of to the side... I glance up. The stars. I smile. How fitting... The Priestess and Sir Ira stand in the middle. Both dressed in plain white.


    ¡°Lairy, how wonderful you look.¡± The man approaches Laira.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She smiles shyly.


    ¡°It seems our clothing fits you three rather nicely.¡± The Priestess smiles at us. Percival only manages to nod, whereas Ether hides again.


    ¡°You flatter us, Priestess.¡± I respond rather clumsily.


    ¡°Take your places.¡± Ira tells us and I look behind me. Crile steps out into the light. Ah. I get it now... He greets us with a smile.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± Percival whispers.


    ¡°Follow my lead¡±. Laira says stepping to the side. ¡°Form a half circle.¡± She gestures. I stand next to her, with Ether between us. Percy places himself next to me. Crile walks past us and kneels for a quick moment in front of the Priestess. She smiles at him and nods. Crile turns around, facing the entrance. We watch the doors too. Breeze steps out into the light. Wow. The colors of the dress make her look like she just got out of a blood bath... Strangely fitting, I must say...


    ¡°She looks like she just killed someone...¡± Percival whispers with a chill in his voice. ¡°And enjoyed doing it...¡±


    I grin. ¡°No kidding.¡± In comparison, the pale colors of our getup make Breeze and Crile stand out even more. Well, it is their wedding. Why shouldn¡¯t they be the center of attention. Breeze stands next to Crile. His deep, dark green and navy colored, almost black, light gear accentuates the tones of Breeze''s dress even more. At this angle, her hair floats down her back, creating a waterfall impression... The Priestess takes her daughter''s face into her hands and whispers something, giving a quick peck on the forehead. Sir Ira stands next to the Priestess, holding a silver ribbon. The happy couple face each other, taking each other¡¯s hands and locking them together. The Priestess takes the ribbon from Sir Ira and begins wrapping it around the laced hands of Breeze and Crile.


    ¡°Dearly beloved. We are gathered here tonight to witness two hearts become one. May the road ahead be full of feeling and emotion. Anger and affection. Silence and chatter. Passion and calm. Let them, be your guides, as you walk through life. Let each other, be your strength in times of need. Let the love you share, be your salvation from despair. May the stars shine upon you for the rest of eternity. You may now kiss each other.¡± The Priestess steps back and Crile pulls Breeze in for a rough kiss, with their hands tied... Cheers spread from the darkness. Ha! The guards were watching... Laira claps her hands. Percival snaps out of it and cheers too. I see Ether clapping his little hands excitedly. I smile and get to cheering too. Crile manages to slip out of their restraints and puts one arm around Breeze. That''s one Hell of a kiss... They finally break off and bow to us. The ribbon has its grip on them still. The Priestess hugs the both of them. So does Sir Ira. Laira walks up to them next. We follow her.


    ¡°May the stars shine upon you.¡± She tells them and hugs them both the same way. Embracing them both at the same time, as she stands in the middle of them.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Breeze tells her. I catch tears in her eyes. The smile hides them well. Laira lets the happy couple go.


    ¡°Do we do the same then?¡± I ask nervously.


    Crile nods. ¡°Pretty much.¡± Ok then. I take a tiny breath in.


    ¡°May the stars shine upon you.¡± I tell them and hug them the same way. Ah damn, even their scents are rich with fragrance... I pull away and pick up Ether. Breeze and Crile hug the boy quickly. To my surprise, Ether responds nicely with a bright smile.


    ¡°I see. So this is the Noxian tradition.¡± Percy murmurs behind us. I set the boy down.


    ¡°You¡¯re next.¡± I pat our Cleanser on the back. He staggers for a second and quickly pulls himself together.


    ¡°May the stars shine upon you!¡± He makes more of an announcement out of it and stands on his toes, as he reaches in for an embrace. Crile and Breeze hug the kid back. The two of them seem to have a more parental look on them as they hold on to Percy for a moment longer before letting go. The kid lights up bright red, just like the lanterns. Glen and the exclusive guard join the celebration too. Well, in their own way. All eight kneel in front of the newlyweds in a crescent moon lineup.


    ¡°May the stars shine upon you for the rest of eternity!¡± They say all at once. Did they practice that? The couple bows, showing their respect.


    ¡°Let us feast and drink tonight like there''s no tomorrow!¡± Someone yells.


    ¡°Let the stars burn up in envy of our joy!¡± Ha! That''s a good one. For a handful of people, they sure make enough noise. I smile and watch Laira for a long moment...

 15. The Other Values

    We arrive at Arrdus. The port city of Ballista. It''s different from the usual sight, that''s for sure. The dessert too. It stretches out as far as the eyes can see and even further than that... A sea of sand... Percival was right. The view is nothing short of otherworldly. Blue on the left and burnt gold on the right...


    ¡°Lady Evergreen!¡± A Noxian man approaches us. ¡°Such a privilege.¡± He bows.


    ¡°Surely you gest.¡± Laira answers.


    ¡°Not at all.¡± He bows to Percy and me next. ¡°Tiatus the Merchant, at your service."


    ¡°Marcus Tallen and Percival Skyrider, pleased to meet you.¡± I nod. Our Cleanser bows.


    ¡°An honor, truly.¡± Tiatus nods. ¡°You''re right on time. The ship is being loaded as we speak.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. That will give us time to settle in and speak with the captain too.¡±


    ¡°That won''t be necessary.¡± An older Balli man approaches our party.


    ¡°Headmaster Harrenis. What a lovely surprise.¡± Laira bows, so does Percy. Oh? This the one who''s arm she twisted. He reminds me of the old Shaman... Only this one has a colder look in his eyes. Guess Laira''s antics weren''t to his liking...


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think I''d let our precious cargo leave our land without seeing to it?¡± The Headmaster answers, a bitter undertone lies in his well upheld, official voice.


    ¡°I did not realize the Headmaster personally sees to every shipment.¡± Try not to start a war, will ya? I glance over at Laira.


    ¡°Not every. Just the very important ones. I expect you to hold up your end of the bargain.¡± He gives Laira his hard stare. She counters it with ease.


    ¡°That''s precisely the reason we are here.¡± The sudden tension in the air makes me question if all "negotiations" feel like walking a razor sharp tight rope...


    ¡°Well, that''s only half of it. We won''t be satisfied till our cargo reaches Existara safe and sound.¡± The old man''s seasoned vet''s expertise are echoing in every word he speaks.


    ¡°That is exactly the reason why I have a ship waiting in Crepitus with neutral flags. Your colorful accessories give you away. Making you an easy target.¡± Laira answers. ¡°You¡¯re costs for hired guards will be significantly cut in half too. The Araneum''s Army has plenty of young, eager blood, to act as bodyguards for your shipment.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me, if I have little faith in fresh meat.¡± The Headmaster''s hard to impress. Seeing this now makes me wonder how in the world did Laira manage to convince him in the first place. He doesn¡¯t seem like someone who can be easily threatened into something.


    ¡°That fresh meat, as you call it, fought the Rebirth. I''m sure they can manage to keep an eye on some dried weeds.¡± Percival sounds uncharacteristically pissed off. Why wouldn¡¯t he be. He watched his friends die... Of course, he''d take it as a personal insult. Sir Harrenis is quick to pick up on that. Life experience at it''s finest. I grin. Point, Percy.


    ¡°Is there something else you wish to discuss?¡± Laira takes back the conversation. The old man hesitates.


    ¡°I''ll be expecting to hear good news from you soon.¡± He says and nods. ¡°If you''ll excuse me.¡± The Headmaster leaves us. Soon, he says. Right.


    ¡°My apologies.¡± Tiatus bows to Laira again.


    ¡°Pay no attention to it.¡± She brushes it off. ¡°May you please lead us to our ship.¡±


    ¡°Of course, this way, please.¡± Our Merch-guide leads the way. I pick Ether up and match my pace with Percy''s.


    ¡°You ok?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Fine, thank you.¡± No you¡¯re not.


    ¡°It leaves a foul taste in your mouth, doesn¡¯t it? Having your siblings in arms trashed like that? Makes your blood boil. Your body tremble with rage and disgust. Even something, what may seem as minor, sets you off in turmoil...¡± I see the kid give me a questionable look.


    ¡°Speaking from experience?¡± He asks quietly.


    ¡°More or less...¡± We walk up to the ship''s deck. A bunch of Balli sailors stop and stare at us. Such a warm welcome. It lasts barely an instant, but it''s enough to set the mood. I feel Ether cling to me tighter. Don¡¯t worry, I''ll protect you. I pat his head.


    ¡°The Captain is a friend of mine.¡± Tiatus says. We hear a rumbling baritone raise up from below the deck. ¡°Speak of the devil. Undahr!¡± The Merch waves.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, well, looky here!¡± The old man''s scowling expression quickly lights up. He comes over. ¡°Is this the bunch we''re taking with us?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Tiatus nods. Laira takes a step forward.


    ¡°Laira Evergreen, we''ll be in your care, Captain, appreciate the trouble.¡± She bows. The Captain strokes his breaded beard. Sizing Laira up... Somehow that bothers me.


    ¡°Should have told me about this beauty. I would have charged you more.¡± He glances over at our guide.


    ¡°How about we just say I owe one, instead?¡± Tiatus smiles.


    ¡°Ha! I''ll hold you to it!¡± Undahr responds with a glare. ¡°Now then, make yourselves at home, this will be it for the next couple of weeks. But try not to get in the way of our work. We set sail in one hour.¡± The captain gives us the quick speech and walks away without anyone of us having the chance to answer.


    ¡°Milady, if you''ll excuse me, I shall take my leave now too.¡± Tiatus bows.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± Laira smiles warmly. ¡°Appreciate the trouble.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure. Sirs.¡± He bows to us and leaves.


    ¡°Should we ask someone where are we staying?¡± I pose the issue.


    ¡°Let''s try and go down below, they were told it will be a party of four...¡±


    ¡°You the special package?¡± A voice reaches us from above. A Balli girl hangs upside down from the ropes. Special package? Guess that''s one way of putting it.


    ¡°Yes we are.¡± Laira answers. The girl swings around and jumps down.


    ¡°Follow me.¡± She leads us below the deck. The Balli people really need to work on their poker faces.


    ¡°Here. Four cabins. Two here and two here.¡± She points to the doors opposite each other at the back of the passageway. ¡°Lucky swine.¡± She mutters walking back out.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± I shout to her back.


    ¡°How are we swine?¡± Percy asks.


    ¡°I guess they usually don¡¯t have passengers.¡± Laira says entering a cabin. The sight of it is proof. It must have taken Tiatus a great deal to persuade the Captain to let us on board... They must have moved some stuff around.. Not a single window either...


    ¡°Lets just be happy they didn¡¯t toss us in with the hammocks...¡± She says opening the door to the next "cabin".


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Percy hesitates. ¡°I''ll take this one then.¡± He says opening the second door on the left.


    ¡°I''ll take the right one.¡± Laira tells us. Wait.


    ¡°You¡¯re not staying with me?¡± I stare at her.


    ¡°We have Ether to think about now.¡± She answers.


    ¡°Then we take these two.¡± I tell her, entering the second door on the right. Only now I notice how tiny the beds are... Laira would never fit in it... Suddenly I feel like a colossal moron... I step back outside and go in the other room. I set Ether down on the bed.


    ¡°This will be your room.¡± He gives me a worried look. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I''ll stay with you.¡± I pat his little head. ¡°But in case you want to lay down or something, know that this is yours. Ok?¡± He nods. Good boy. We take our time settling in. Rather, try our best not to cause trouble as everyone else prepares for departure. Ether hangs out in my room. I''d love to take him up, out on the deck... I take another look around the "cabin"... Depressing... A window does make a difference... I sigh.


    ¡°Come here.¡± I grab Ether up and stretch out on the bed, with the little one curled up next to me. I barely fit... This will be one long trip back...


    I wake up with Ether still next to me. I feel a slight sway. We''re moving. Finally. I nudge the boy and he slowly opens his eyes.


    I smile at him. ¡°Wanna go up?¡± He nods. Right then, we get up and step out. I stop by Laira''s door, but something holds me back... I stand in front of it with my hand ready for a knock yet it doesn''t move. I drop my arm down and continue walking up the deck. It''s not as busy as before... The weather''s nice too. I notice Percy being busy with something in the corner by the port. We walk up to him.


    ¡°What''s up?¡± I ask our Cleanser.


    ¡°Oh, ah, I asked if there''s anything I can help with, they gave me these to knot.¡± He points to some ropes next to him. ¡°I think they''re testing me.¡±


    ¡°You ok with that?¡± We sit down too. I cross my legs and Ether fits himself in between them.


    ¡°I feel like we''re intruding, so I wanted to help out, to try and easy the friction.¡± He says tying another knot. ¡°I''m not a sailor, so it''s only fair that they would have their suspicions. I wouldn¡¯t want a dumbass ruining something important either.¡±


    ¡°I hate it how you make sense out of everything.¡± I tell him taking a rope too.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± He nods.


    ¡°No no, it''s fine. Show me how?¡± I hold the rope in my hands.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Percy shows me slowly and carefully how to tie a knot. He takes his time explaining it. I feel like a kid again with him acting this way. But I can''t complain. It''s fairly easy to follow his instructions and I manage to tie a decent knot.


    ¡°Where''d you learn these?¡± I ask the kid, letting Ether play with the knot I just made.


    ¡°On the way to Noxanda. At the beginning the Lady wasn''t feeling well, so I couldn''t do much for her, but have her sedated or resting... So, I asked the crew to teach me at least the basic stuff. I already knew how to use a mop, so we went a bit more technical. Hence, the knots.¡± He shows a more difficult one that he just made.


    ¡°You¡¯re good at this.¡± I praise the Cleanser. ¡°You¡¯re good at explaining things too.¡± I tell him taking another rope and following his lead. ¡°Ever considered being a teacher?¡±


    ¡°At some point I did.¡± He admits.


    ¡°But? I feel like there''s a, but...¡± I mess up and start over.


    ¡°But I wanted something different, something more, something...¡± He stops.


    ¡°That something that you don¡¯t even know...¡± I finish the sentence for him. He looks at me.


    ¡°Guess so.¡± The kid agrees.


    ¡°What''s going on here?¡± Laira''s voice reaches us.


    ¡°Training.¡± I show her my failed knot. Ether runs up to her. He''s really attached to her... She picks him up. ¡°Percy figured we might as well try to help out. So...¡±


    ¡°That''s a great idea. Maybe I can do something useful too?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± The Captain walks up to us. ¡°We''ll use the men if they can manage, but not you, missy.¡±


    ¡°Captain Undahr;¡± Laira bows her head; ¡°why not? I¡¯m a Ravo, I can help.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I''m quite sure. But you have other priorities.¡± He gestures to our boy. Balli are known for their strong sense of responsibility when it comes to family...


    ¡°Well, thank you, Captain.¡± She nods again. ¡°But please, do not hesitated to ask, should you change your mind.¡±


    ¡°Sure sure.¡± He nods and leaves us again.


    ¡°He reminds me of Tonso.¡± Percy says.


    ¡°Me too.¡± I admit.


    ¡°Me three.¡± Laira follows.


    Our days go by with Percy and I helping out to the best of our abilities. From the kitchen, to the mopping... I haven¡¯t worked this much since joining the Army... After finishing up with the after dinner clean up, I head over to Laira''s room. I knock, but she doesn''t answer. I crack the door open just a bit. I walk in on Laira practicing her casting. I stand in the doorway for a brief moment. Watching her. Her face tells me she''s struggling. The chair rumbles and the Vines retract. Laira stands there, panting. I walk inside her cabin and close the door behind me. She turns to me.


    ¡°Oh, been standing there long?¡± She asks with a strained smile.


    ¡°Not at all. How¡¯s the training?¡± I sit down on the bed.


    ¡°A pain. It''s a lot harder than I thought...¡± Her eyes are focused on the chair. I pat the bed next to me. She sits down.


    ¡°Wanna tell me about it?¡± I suggest. Laira shrugs her shoulders.


    ¡°I thought that forming a dome would be easy enough. Simply encase the object, right? Well, apparently, I need a lot more mana and Vines to sustain the new form, without reshaping the original object...¡± She pauses. I put my arm around her. ¡°I¡¯m beginning to think that it was only possible because it was Breeze who did it...¡±


    ¡°What makes you think that? You said that Zaltem and Aodynna helped, so."


    ¡°Yes. Gave her a hand. I spoke to Zaltem about it earlier. He said that all he did was cast extra Vines from the sides of the ship to help enclose it. If it weren''t for Aodynna''s Shaman powers, he might not have been able to pull it off... Is what he said... But Breeze...¡±


    ¡°Think this has something to do with what we spoke about that time?¡± I whisper.


    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to think that...¡± She murmurs... ¡°She cast the Vines right from the bottom of the sea... That''s how she grabbed onto the ship and pulled it under...¡± She pauses again... ¡°I think she may have wrapped the ship in Vines, instead of merging them with the ship. That might have damaged it... Right now, I''m trying to conjure the Vines from the seat;¡± she points to the chair; ¡°and at least form a dome over the back and the top, without changing the bottom... But... I can''t do it without using my own Vines.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that the surface of the seat is not enough?¡± I wonder.


    ¡°That''s exactly how it is.¡± She admits.


    ¡°What if you use your Vines. Can you do it then?¡±


    ¡°Easily. But we''re talking about a ship here. My bag of Vines won''t be enough for that...¡±


    ¡°What about if you use the main mast as your base? And have a few other Ravos cast the net from the sides? Merging your Vines together?¡± I look at her. Is she pouting? Wait.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re competing with her?¡± I ask laughing softly. Laira doesn¡¯t answer me. She just turns away from me instead. Geez...


    ¡°You¡¯re cute when you pout.¡± I tell her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t pout!¡± She says, turning around suddenly. I pounce her lips with mine, looking into her yellow, captivating, eyes. The surprise reflects there nicely. I grin.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need me telling you something you already know. Yet, I''ll do it anyways...¡± I brush my fingers down the side of her face. ¡°Nobody said you need to do this alone.¡± I smile at her. ¡°I''ll go check on Ether. Meet me at my place?¡± I wink at her playfully. She hesitates.


    ¡°Sure.¡± She smiles back.


    ¡°Perfect!¡± I jump off the bed and go to Ether''s room. He should be asleep by now. We''ve managed to work out a deal when I have to work after dinner. I slowly creek open the door and I see Ether sitting up in the bed, in the dark, like a puppy, waiting. I sigh.


    ¡°Did you wait for me?¡± A nod. Another sigh. I close the door behind me. ¡°You don¡¯t have to wait for me. It''s ok.¡± I tell him, tucking him back into bed. He doesn¡¯t respond. I pat his head. ¡°You sure you''re ok?¡± I ask to make sure. He nods. Good boy.


    ¡°Come over if you need anything or can''t sleep, alright?¡± Another nod. Good. ¡°Sweet dreams.¡± I give him a quick peck on the forehead and slowly retreat. I come back to my cabin.


    ¡°How is he?¡± Laira asks me.


    ¡°Brave little boy.¡± I tell her tossing my gear off me. ¡°I told him to come over if he gets scared or anything. He nodded. I couldn¡¯t help, but get tearful.¡± I sit on the bed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can sleep without him anymore.¡± I confess kicking the shoes off. Laira stands up to undress too.


    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m kinda worried too. But he''s been doing great so far. Rotating a night each to let him sleep alone once every couple of nights will do him good. You too, by the way...¡± She makes fun of me. Oh ha ha...


    ¡°Even if. I can¡¯t help, but worry.¡± I say staring at the door.


    ¡°We can take a peek at him later. How¡¯s that sound?¡± Laira gives me a look.


    ¡°Deal!¡± I tell her. ¡°I''ve been meaning to ask you...¡± I hesitate, as I watch Laira undress... She turns to me with her usual smile.


    ¡°What''s on your mind?¡±


    ¡°The wedding ceremony... It was quite short, is it also because of how it started?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Yes, pretty much.¡± She answers. ¡°Something bothering you?¡± I see the concern in her eyes.


    ¡°Not really, it''s just that your weddings are different. You don¡¯t have vows either...¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. You could say that The silver ribbon represents the vows. It symbolizes our decision to tie our lives together. That kind of in itself are our vows.¡±


    ¡°Would any ribbon work?¡± I ask carefully... Laira gestures her head to the sides.


    ¡°Well, yes and no. Technically, yes, any ribbon will do the trick, as long as there''s someone else officiating the ceremony. Like it doesn¡¯t work if the couple tie their hands together by themselves. Nowadays, they make special ribbons for the occasion, so there is a "special" ribbon to use if you want.¡±


    ¡°Interesting...¡± I sigh with relief.


    ¡°Oh, right, one other thing.¡± She smiles clumsily. ¡°Because our weddings are so rare, any Noxian has the power to marry two Noxians.¡±


    ¡°Say what now? So you don¡¯t need to have someone like a priest or something to make it official?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. All you need is a third Noxian to recite the pledge. But that only works for us. We can¡¯t marry people of another race.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± I exhale somewhat disappointed... ¡°Does that apply to mixed couples too? Like you and me?¡± I ask with an idiot''s hope...


    ¡°In that case it''s up to the couple to decide how they want it. But sure. If one is a Noxian then it can be applied.¡± She finishes taking off her gear. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°No reason, was curious ever since their wedding, but it didn¡¯t seem like a good time to interrogate you.¡± I give her a silly grin and make room on the bed for her.


    ¡°Uh-huh. Well if that''s the case then you should know that we don¡¯t have rings either.¡± She tells me slipping under the covers, curling up on top of me as much as the stupid bed allows her...


    ¡°Why not?¡± Though I don¡¯t remember seeing them exchanging anything beside the ribbon...


    Laira shrugs her shoulders. ¡°No clue, it''s just how it is.¡±


    ¡°Then how do people know if you¡¯re married?¡± That concerns me the most right now... She makes herself comfortable on my shoulder.


    ¡°Oh well, after the ceremony you tie the ribbon above the door of your home, or above the bed or something. Basically you put it on display for others to know that this couple is married. It''s like a charm in that sense. Noxians don¡¯t really need confirmation that they are together.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I ask playing with a strand of her hair.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°I mentioned before how rare Noxian weddings are, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I pause. ¡°Is there another reason for that?¡±


    ¡°Well, kind of.¡± Laira squirms next to me. ¡°Noxians don¡¯t believe that marriage is necessary for two people to love each other and live together. If two Noxians agree to be a couple then they are so. It''s as simple as that. Once our minds are made up it''s difficult to change our decision. That doesn¡¯t mean that we lack emotions, we simply value them differently... We may not look it, but we have frail hearts. To protect them we think about a lot of things, before committing to someone...¡±


    ¡°Sounds more like a well calculated plan, rather than a feeling...¡± I murmur.


    ¡°Not at all. Our emotions are too powerful. If we acted on them, we''d hurt ourselves and others too. To prevent that, we leave it up to our minds to make the decision for us. But once that happens we give our hearts away and let our emotions loose.¡± She flashes a smile for me. ¡°So, when two Noxians decide to get married it''s because they really can¡¯t live without each other anymore. That''s how strong our emotions are. You see. When you have all the time in the world, you might get bored being with the same partner, so we don¡¯t find it fair to tie each other down with marriage. I mean, cheating never looks good, no matter the reasons.¡± She laughs nervously.


    ¡°I''ll say...¡± I chuckle too.


    ¡°That''s why we don¡¯t believe in marriage. Well, no, it''s more like we revere it? It''s kinda sacred. It''s not that we fear it, it''s just... How to say this? We respect it that much? It''s not something that should be taken lightly. That is why we prefer to call our relationships long-term commitment. It''s an individual decision if two people want to be together. It''s also up to them to decided if they wish to stay in it or if they choose not to. A decision to go behind someone''s back is that person''s decision too. You know who you''re with, so if you do something, it''s all you. Can''t blame someone else, you know?" She pauses for a moment. "Am I making sense?¡± She looks at me.


    ¡°Well sure, I mean if you¡¯re the kind that will sleep with anything that moves than why pledge undying love to only one someone? Sleep away, I say!¡± I gesture into the distance. Laira laughs. Much better.


    ¡°Kind of like that, yes.¡± She nods.


    ¡°I have to admit. I like this idea. It doesn¡¯t stain the name or the meaning of marriage.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes.¡± She nods again. ¡°Some of us live our lives together without ever getting married, but that doesn¡¯t mean that we are unhappy about it. Of course, things change if a child is born.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± I try to look at her.


    ¡°If a child is born, you can consider that to be your wedding without actually having one. As a matter of fact, the pledge you heard has another meaning to it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t follow?¡± I confess.


    ¡°Well, just because you have a child with someone, doesn¡¯t mean you need to marry them. But. For the sake of the child - you¡¯re gonna have to be together and make it work. The pledge is more or less of a warning about what it feels like having kids... It hints at the hardships you might face and that you should work together to get through them... Even if you don¡¯t like it...¡±


    ¡°Sounds more like a punishment to me...¡± I confess again. Wait. ¡°If you have a child out of wedlock - how do you know it''s yours? Like...¡± Ah damn, I don¡¯t know if I want to finish that sentence out loud...


    ¡°I can see how you''d think that... There are some ways, but that too is a responsibility in itself. Not to make a woman pregnant and not to get pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a lot of work...¡± I thank our crossbreeding curse for the first and the last time ever...


    ¡°That''s why Noxians don¡¯t bare that many offsprings¡¯.¡± I Laira says quietly...


    ¡°Wait, Tigglia mentioned having two brothers? That makes them at least three children?¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, see, once two Noxians decide to live together and have children on top of that - then it''s only the matter of how many they want.¡±


    ¡°So, basically you¡¯re telling me that once Noxians get serious about having a family - they go all out?¡± I stare at Laira in the dim light. She giggles.


    ¡°Pretty much, yes. It''s complicated, but there is a reason for it.¡±


    ¡°I''m listening.¡± I focus my attention again.


    ¡°Our ancestors had difficulty conceiving. Nobody really knows the reasons why... But. After the first Priestess gave birth to a child, she removed herself from the top, to raise her child. A child is precious. That''s why that day was named the Festival of Life in our nation. It''s not that we celebrate life in itself. We celebrate the future of it.¡±


    ¡°I''m confused?¡± I tell her flat out.


    ¡°A newborn child represents the future. As being the ones who brought a child into this world, we also bare the responsibility of raising them. It is our duty to teach that tiny, helpless creature and take care of them until they no longer need us. For the sake of raising our future we need to sacrifice our past and give all of ourselves to the present.¡± Laira stares in front of her. I wait.


    ¡°In other words, as parents we give ourselves up to the child. Everything we ever were, everything we ever wanted to be or to have - becomes meaningless. There are no more "us" and "what we want". It''s all about the child and what "they need and want."


    ¡°I can understand how important that is... But what happens when a child is born to abusive parents or something?"


    Laira shifts her weight a little. "Nobody said it''s a perfect philosophy... That''s just what the original idea was..." There''s something uncomfortable in her words... "Times change and so do people." She says. I take a moment to think about it.


    "Can two people even manage to live this way?¡± I have to wonder...


    ¡°Some do... Some agree to see other people while raising the child, but the child is the priority...¡± She dies down... ¡°My parents managed...¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to talk about it, if you don¡¯t want to.¡± I tell her quickly.


    ¡°It''s fine...¡± She whispers... Damn it! What do I do here now? ¡°I remember them fighting a lot...¡± I hear her voice, as tiny as ever... ¡°But they also laughed and cried together a lot too... I remember asking them a few times if they loved each other... They... Never really did give me a clear answer... They said the same each time: it doesn¡¯t matter, we love you. My dad once told me that as long as I am alive and well, he doesn¡¯t care what he has to put up with... Mom was the same... She said that for my sake she''ll do whatever it takes...¡± Her voice breaks up... I stroke her back...


    ¡°I loved them both too, so I stopped questioning them... Years later, after their deaths, the Priestess told me that it was their idea to volunteer for the trip to Cobalus. They said that they wanted their child to grow up in a peaceful world... They took upon the name Evergreen, which was granted to them by the Priestess, without ever marrying... I inherited their name and tittle...¡± Oooh... So that''s what happened... A twitch...


    ¡°They managed to put their differences and feelings aside for my sake... It''s almost like I killed them...¡± She sobs quietly on my shoulder... I stroke her back... Why is it that I cant think of anything smart to say...


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s fair to say...¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Laira''s eyes are sheer confusion...


    ¡°I think what your parents meant was, that their feelings for each other, or the lack of, is not your fault... I kind of understand it...I think¡­¡± I keep stroking her back... ¡°Children are not responsible for their parents mistakes... I don¡¯t think they would ever blame you... They did what they did, because they wanted for you to be happy, even if they themselves couldn¡¯t be... They didn¡¯t lie to you... They called it as it was... You were more precious to them than their own, individual happiness... That''s something you should be proud of...¡± I finally find the courage to glance down at her again... She seems lost in thought...


    ¡°Is that why you are afraid of raising Ether?¡± I ask her carefully. I never really thought about it that way... It would make sense why she''s reluctant about it... Even with her growing affection for him...


    She shakes her head. ¡°Not at all.¡± She sniffs a few times... Cute. I grin like a moron in the dark... ¡°Not many of us have the strength needed to take on such a responsibility as raising the next generation. So, you could say that we choose not to have children. If it happens so that we do have one, then we try our best to make it work. Some succeed. Some fail. It''s a learning process. I''m simply worried if I can manage, regardless of wanting it... I wouldn¡¯t want to be the reason that ruins the boys life, you know?¡± She gives me a sad, warm smile. I brush her hair away from her face.


    ¡°Nobody is perfect. We''ll make mistakes. That''s a given. But trying, failing and learning from them is still a better option for me.¡± I tell her quietly. She smiles at me. For real this time.


    ¡°Will you marry me?¡± The words slip out of my mouth without my consent. I hold my breath. Slowly, Laira''s face changes into a hesitant smile. She tackles me.


    ¡°Yes!¡± We crash on the bed. I definitely broke something... I hug her to me. She lets go and kisses me. I kiss her back. I can¡¯t hold back anymore... I pull her in for more. We sit up. Her hair cascades down over us. I search for her legs and thighs. She lifts her ass up and slams into me. I squeeze the side of her thigh. She locks her legs behind my back. My hand slips down, right in the middle. I slide down with my fingers and quickly swipe back up. A moan. I glide my fingers up and down the lips. A tremble. She tries to pull away, but I pull her in. My fingers get swallowed up. I thrust my hand in and out. Rough and fast. Her nails dig into my back and neck. Her moans break through our kissing. She grabs the shaft, almost tearing it off. She strokes it eagerly rough and hard. I pull my hand out and smear the wetness onto my dick. Laira guides it inside. It slips in balls deep. A groan. I can¡¯t take it any more. I grip her ass and pound her. She breaks off my lips and hunches over me. Her quiet moans deep and heavy, her clutches on me tight and painful. I bite into her breast, suffocating myself on the nipple... I keep on pounding through... Faster... Harder...


    ¡°Marrrrcuuussss....¡± She grips me tighter, almost breaking my ribs. I thrust in a few times more and explode with a grunt, teasing the sweet nipple... I feel her drip down the shaft. I grin with the nipple between my teeth still.


    ¡°I missed this...¡± I tell her chest, kissing it. She tilts my head to her.


    ¡°Me too...¡± We kiss again. Deep...


    ¡°How much longer?¡± I ask Percy. ¡°Any clue?¡±


    ¡°We should be at Crepitus in a few days-ish? Or so? See the dark clouds in the distance. That''s a give away...¡±


    ¡°I''m kinda getting sick from all the chores...¡± I admit.


    ¡°To be honest, me too... There''s so much on my mind...¡± The kid yawns like never before.


    ¡°You''ve been working on the RRD at night, haven¡¯t you.¡± I give him a disapproving look.


    ¡°Only taking notes so I don¡¯t forget. But I usually end up passing out...¡± He confesses.


    ¡°Well good. We don¡¯t need you burning out on us.¡± I smack the Cleansers back.


    ¡°Ouch.¡± He lets out a breath. I chuckle.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the divested face?¡± I ask Breeze.


    ¡°I miss them. This place seemed livelier with them around¡­¡±


    I laugh before I realize it. I see the glare she throws at me. ¡°Sorry sorry, couldn¡¯t help it¡­¡± I walk over to her chair. ¡°You really have gone soft, haven¡¯t you?¡± I look at her, crouching by the desk.


    ¡°Oh and when was the last time you had male friends?¡± She mocks me. I giggle.


    ¡°Touch¨¦.¡± I smile at her and put my hand on her cheek.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be back soon.¡± I tell Zarri. She nods.


    ¡°Give it a few years and it¡¯ll be pretty lively here without the others too.¡± I give her a silly grin. It clicks to her.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite the comedian, aren¡¯t you?¡± She rolls her eyes at me. I laugh again.


    ¡°Anything to make you smile.¡± I lean in, bent in half and give her a peck on the forehead.


    ¡°Prepare to dock!¡± Captain Undahr roars and the crew gets buzzing again. Since it''s our last day on the ship, we were asked, more like ordered, to keep out of sight till we reach land. Fine with us. The four of us been staying low in our cabins.


    ¡°Make sure you don¡¯t forget anything.¡± I tell Ether, gathering up my stuff. Laira walks in.


    ¡°Are we reloading the entire cargo?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Yes. That was the deal.¡±


    ¡°That''ll take forever.¡± I sigh.


    ¡°We''ll see. Zaltem should meet us once we dock.¡± She tells me.


    ¡°Oh? He''s here too?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they decided to let Zaltem meet up with us, while Aodynna keeps an eye on the training.¡± Laira explains.


    ¡°I see.¡± I stuff the last bit of my gear in my bag. Ether has already made himself comfortable in Laira''s arms. Grinning silly. I freeze up for a moment.


    ¡°Something the matter?¡± Laira''s voice reaches me. I shake my head.


    ¡°Not at all.¡± A heavy sway rolls over us. Land ho. I guess. A knock on the door.


    ¡°We''ve docked, you guys ready?¡± Percy asks us from the other side of the door. We gather up and step out.


    ¡°Lets get out of here.¡± I whisper to Percy.


    ¡°No kidding.¡± He says. We walk out onto the deck. The Captain''s waiting. Laira takes front row center.


    ¡°We''ll now be taking over the cargo.¡± She announces and a laugh rolls over the crew. Smug bastards...


    ¡°Ay, sure sure, go ahead.¡± Undahr waves to us.


    ¡°Does that mean we have your permission do enter your ship?¡± Laira asks. Something in her tone makes me think she has a plan...


    ¡°We ain¡¯t dragging it out for you!¡± Someone yells.


    ¡°Get it yerself!¡± Another voice.


    ¡°Well then. Captain, do we have your permission do move the cargo ourselves?¡± She presses for an answer.


    ¡°Ay. Do as you please.¡± The old man tells us. Laira walks over to the board of the ship and waves down.


    ¡°Come on up!¡± She yells and a bunch of Vines shoot up. Youngsters come crawling into the ship. All with the Araneum colors. Zaltem lands next to us.


    ¡°Sirs. Pleasure to see you are doing well.¡± He nods. ¡°If you''ll excuse us.¡± He goes down below to get the merchandise. More of our soldiers come over. None of the crew bother with anything. They keep their eyes on us and their distance from us.


    ¡°How many are there?¡± Percy asks Laira extra quietly.


    ¡°Two ships. One. Figured we''d need the extra man power. And two.¡±


    ¡°Lemme guess. You need the second ship for protection.¡± I cut in.


    ¡°Yep. And it gives the guys the chance to practice on the job.¡± She adds.


    ¡°Clever.¡± I admit.


    ¡°Zaltem''s idea. Tell him that.¡± She answers.


    ¡°I will, as soon as we get off here.¡± I whisper. A slide made from ice appears on the side. Vines roll out a box after a box from below the deck. Right. All we need to do is get them off the ship as quickly as we can. We can move them to ours later. Ether and I try to sneak a peek down to the docks. A bunch of troops work hard there too. I¡¯m impressed. They are not wasting any time. Some boxes are already being moved to the other ships. Thin stone tracks roll the cargo straight out, as soon as it lands from the ice slide. Everyone is using their magic wherever possible. Think of it as practice, huh? That¡¯s one way to put it. I smile. I notice Vines slashing the air a few ships away. Oooh. That''s helpful. The Vines act as nets. They slither round the boxes and carry them up onto the deck. Sure makes the job faster. We come back to the other two.


    ¡°Are we separating the cargo?¡± I ask, keeping my voice low.


    ¡°Yes. The RRD ones are extra special, they''ve marked as such. I had Tiatus mediate that for us. The other boxes are the rest of their merchandise that we are sworn to delivery to their pick up point at the Royal Docks.¡± Laira gives us the quick break down.


    ¡°Nice. Is that also another reason for the two ships?¡± Percy asks.


    ¡°Yes. Makes things simpler that way. We can go faster that way too.¡± Laira explains.


    ¡°I like it. It won¡¯t be as cramped too...¡± I mutter. I see the look Percy gives me. ¡°Oh hush.¡±


    ¡°That''s the last one!¡± Zaltem calls out to the crew below and comes over to us. ¡°We''re done.¡±


    ¡°Perfect, appreciate making quick work of this.¡± Laira nods. The Ravo bows and leaves. Laira turns around and takes a lungful of air.


    ¡°To the Captain and the crew of this ship, we thank you for your hospitality!¡± She bows. We follow her lead.


    ¡°We appreciate delivering us and the goods here safely!¡± I throw in.


    ¡°Safe travels!¡± Percy adds and we get off the ship. Zaltem waits for us.


    ¡°You guys are impressive.¡± I tell him shaking his hand.


    ¡°Thank you, we try our best.¡± He almost blushes.


    ¡°How¡¯s the progress with the Domes?¡± Laira takes over.


    ¡°Good news and bad news.¡± The Ravo says as we walk to our ships. ¡°Good news is - we can do it.¡±


    ¡°And the bad?¡± Percival asks carefully.


    ¡°It takes a handful of us to manage.¡± Zaltem admits. Laira may have been right... With Breeze having an extra boost in her powers that allowed her to wield all three types... I see the expression Laira''s face makes.


    ¡°Those Vine nets, are those a team effort too?¡± I quickly join in.


    ¡°Yes. A few Ravos, sharing the burden can easily manage tasks as you''ve just witnessed.¡±


    ¡°The Divide?¡± Percy joins us.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zaltem nods. ¡°Unfortunately, we are unable to perform this level of casting alone... Last time I exhausted all of my mana and it took me weeks to get back to normal... Lucky us that Lady Deathbreeze taught us Meditation.¡± He flashes a quick smile for us. We board the ship. A middle-aged Cornutese woman approaches us.


    ¡°Captain Matile, at your service.¡± She salutes us.


    ¡°Laira Evergreen, please to make your acquaintance.¡± The women shake hands.


    ¡°Marcus Tallen, we''ll be in your care.¡± I shake hands too.


    ¡°Percival Skyrider. Appreciate the trouble.¡± Percy adds.


    ¡°Not at all. I''ve been rotting away at the docks, this is quite a nice change of pace.¡± She has quite a husky voice, for a woman of her stature...


    ¡°We asked around within the Army and the Navy if anyone would volunteer...¡± Zaltem stretches out the silence...


    ¡°All of them here are volunteers?¡± Our Cleanser looks around.


    ¡°More or less.¡± The Captain nods. ¡°Ah, there you are.¡± We turn around. A Cornutese man, around the same age as the Captain, walks up to us. "This is Ibrar. He''s the Captain of the other ship and my husband. She announces proudly." Well now.


    ¡°Must be nice. Working together.¡± Percy says.


    ¡°Hardly can call being on separate ships together.¡± Ibrar disagrees.


    ¡°We appreciate the trouble.¡± Laira makes the first move.


    ¡°How could I not. She wouldn¡¯t shut up about it...¡± He shakes Laira''s hand. Then Percy''s, then mine.


    ¡°What''s this?¡± He stares at Ether.


    ¡°Our son.¡± Laira stands next to me, taking Ether by the hand.


    ¡°We adopted him.¡± I add. The man keeps his gaze on our little one a moment longer. I¡¯m not sure I like his expression...


    ¡°Lucky boy...¡± He mumbles. Ok... ¡°Can we set sail already?¡± Ibrar asks.


    ¡°Do we have everything we need?¡± Laira asks both of the Captains.


    ¡°We restocked while waiting.¡± Zaltem answers.


    ¡°Then lets move.¡± Laira gives the green light.


    ¡°Finally.¡± The man mumbles again and walks away.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t pay any mind to him, he hates being on dry land.¡± Matile explains it.


    ¡°You must be a saint...¡± Percy lets it slip and quickly bites his lip. The woman roars with laughter.


    ¡°I wonder sometimes.¡± She walks away laughing.


    ¡°Shall we get you settled in?¡± Zaltem suggests.


    ¡°Sounds good.¡± I agree. He takes us below the deck.


    ¡°We put aside these three cabins, unfortunately that was the best we could manage...¡± His voice apologetic.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it. We''ve seen worse.¡± I try to joke.


    "I''ll take this one." Percy goes in the closets one.


    ¡°Ether can have the middle one.¡± Laira says. I open the doors to the last one. What a sight for sore eyes! The bed! Finally! I can''t help, but grin.


    ¡°Then I''ll leave you to it.¡± Zaltem excuses himself.


    ¡°Oh, one last thing.¡± Laira calls out quickly. ¡°Please keep an eye on this one.¡± She points to Percy. ¡°He needs plenty of bedrest and food.¡± She mocks him and I can¡¯t help, but laugh. Percival''s face is not amused... Zaltem takes a moment to process.


    ¡°Understood.¡± He says with a coy smile.


    ¡°Honestly, I can take the babying from the Lady, but you too?¡± Our Cleanser gives Laira an annoyed glare.


    ¡°On whose orders do you think I¡¯m working here?¡± She answers, making me laugh harder. The kid realizes he can¡¯t beat that and goes inside his cabin.


    ¡°You look exhausted.¡± Laira''s face covers the sun.


    ¡°I feel like I''ve heard that before...¡± I sit up. ¡°Percy was right, it ain¡¯t easy... There''s a lot more to it than simply casting.¡± I wipe the sweat off my face with my shirt. Laira hands me a water pouch. ¡°Thank you.¡± I take it and gulp it down.


    ¡°There''s the herbs, the chants, the mana infusion and all while on the move if you want to fight...¡± I¡¯ve been practicing more of the Shamanic casting, ever since we switched ships and yet I can barely see any progress... It''s been days now...


    ¡°There''s a reason why Cleansers stand still.¡± She says.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m kinda getting that now...¡± I agree. ¡°I also get why Shamans barely ever fight...¡± I dangle an empty pouch of herbs upside down...


    ¡°Nobody ever said it would be easy...¡±


    ¡°Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.¡± I throw a pouting look her way. She gives me a quick peck on the lips.


    ¡°Sorry, my bad.¡± She smiles.


    ¡°Oh sure, now you¡¯re sorry...¡± I tease her. ¡°Well, I guess that''s to be expected... We cant all be perfect¡­¡±


    ¡°All?¡± Laira looks at me with a surprised expression.


    ¡°Yeah, like Breeze or Percy, even Crile... Who else?¡± Laira laughs. ¡°What?¡± Now I look at her confused.


    ¡°You honestly think those two were always that perfect?¡±


    ¡°Well sure, I can tell they have their shortcomings, but when it comes to fighting I mean...¡±


    Laira shakes her head. ¡°Oh, that never came easy for her. Crile was the only one who would seriously spar with her. But that had it''s limits. She could never test her strength against different opponents and it infuriated her. Eventually she''d go out looking for a fight...¡±


    ¡°Somehow I¡¯m not surprised...¡± I admit.


    ¡°Creativity requires knowledge and research...¡± She says calmly. I watch our Cleanser, who volunteered to teach Ether whatever he can, to keep himself busy... Knowledge and research, huh?


    ¡°I can see that... What about you then?¡± I ask Laira. ¡°Was there something you struggled with?¡±


    ¡°Plenty. Learning under Lady Devona was nerve wrecking to say the least.¡±


    ¡°But you managed.¡± I turn to her.


    ¡°I... Was strongly motivated?¡± She gives me a dumb smile. So am I... I stare at her...


    ¡°What?¡± Her expression changes... I lean in and steal a kiss of her luscious lips.


    ¡°Percival! Let¡¯s spar!¡± I call out to the kid, standing up.


    ¡°Now? But you...¡±


    ¡°Come on! Show me what you got!¡± I tease him, inviting him with my hands. Percy stands up and Ether runs over into Laira''s arms. The kid takes up a stance. So do I.


    ¡°Best out of three?¡± He asks. Ha!


    ¡°Why not.¡± I agree. We circle round the deck. ¡°Anything goes, right?¡± I grin.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t expect anything less...¡± The kid''s eyes seem different. He''s focused. Tailing my every move... Let¡¯s dance. I throw the first punch. He steps back. I follow up with a kick. He grabs my leg. Oh shit. And throws me. I turn mid air and manage to soften the landing by sliding backwards. Not bad. He charges me head on. His mouth is moving. He''s chanting. Not good. I feel something grip my foot. Air. Right. I begin mumbling something too, lets see if it works. The grip loosens and I dive in, tackling Percy. He grips my shirt. I slam him down on his back and quickly straddle him with my hand over his face.


    ¡°Point. Marcus.¡± Laira announces. I get of the kid and help him stand.


    ¡°You countered that spell with your own.¡± He says patting his spine.


    ¡°You noticed?¡± I smile proudly.


    ¡°I felt some what of an interference... Round two?¡± He says, stretching.


    ¡°Bring it.¡± I step back and take up my stance again. This time Percy doesn¡¯t wait. He charges in with a barrage of punches. Dodge. Dodge. Back step. Side step. Ouch. One to the ribs. I counter. I miss. The kid ducks and sweeps the leg. I stagger and manage to counter with a round house. He dodges. Not bad. I start chanting. I break a vial and let the fire roar. I charge in. Huh? Where? A kick to the ribs. I fall to my knees.


    ¡°Point. Percival.¡± Laira says.


    ¡°Damn. I thought, I had you there.¡± I say, taking the kid''s hand as he pulls me up.


    ¡°And you would have, if the fire had been shot forward or if you had charged me with it. You let it burn in a quick flare, like a smoke screen, but that made it easier to dodge you.¡±


    ¡°Ouch. That hurts more than the kick.¡± I sulk.


    ¡°Last point. Make it count.¡± Laira says.


    ¡°Right!¡± We answer. We take our time again, circling round. Percy draws a knife. Oh? Fine. I draw mine too. He throws it straight at me. I step to the side and barely avoid the blade, as it catches the corner of my shirt. I keep my eyes on the kid. He chants something again. Now what? I jump back. Nothing happens? I don¡¯t see any water or fire? Air again? I don¡¯t feel it? I look up. No movement. I look down and see the kid come in for a head on assault. His punch connects. I catch his arm with my knee and elbow. Gotchya. I slash at his side and feel a blade in the leg.


    ¡°Draw!¡± Laira says and runs over to us. I let the kid go.


    ¡°Nice one.¡± I tell him taking the blade out of my leg.


    ¡°Likewise.¡± He says holding on to his side. He baited me with that chanting. He wasn''t casting anything. It was just to distract me and get me closer to the knife he threw earlier. He let me catch him, to lock us in... I grin. Percy patches himself up.


    ¡°Where''d you learn such tactics?¡± I ask as he heals my wound too.


    ¡°I learned a lot from the guards when traveling to the Land of Race. Just watching them was enough. How¡¯s that feel?¡±


    I move the leg a bit. ¡°Just fine. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± He smiles.


    ¡°Well, if you two boys had enough, then how about you get cleaned up a bit before dinner?¡± Laira seems pissed.


    ¡°Yes ma''am.¡± Percy nods and excuses himself.


    ¡°What?¡± I keep my gaze on her.


    ¡°Reckless much? It''s only training. No need to draw blood.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t learn anything otherwise.¡± I tell her softly. ¡°Besides, I have you looking out for me.¡± I grin.


    ¡°Yeah yeah, sure.¡± She waves me off. ¡°Get changed, you reek.¡±


    ¡°Ouch. Now that really hurts .¡± I pout.

 16. The Struggle

    ¡°Laira, enough. Please don¡¯t argue anymore. Take Ether and go home. Let me and Percival report back.¡± I try one last time. ¡°You''ve done plenty. I was useless. Let me take some of the burden.¡± I stare at her with a begging look. Ether clings to her. She looks down.


    ¡°Do it for Ether.¡± I whisper.


    ¡°Fine. We''ll go.¡± She takes his hand.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I kiss her and crouch down by our boy. ¡°I''ll see you soon.¡± He flashes a quick smile for me, but the busy docks are too much for him.


    ¡°Perfect. Zaltem has everything covered here. Don''t worry. We''ll be fine.¡± I tell Laira. She nods.


    ¡°Percy?¡± I look around.


    ¡°Over here!¡± A hand waves to me. I go over to him.


    ¡°Need a hand?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I''m good, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Let''s move.¡± We make our way to the Dragon Trail.


    ¡°Is there a reason why you didn¡¯t want the Miss to come with?¡± Percival asks me carefully.


    ¡°Yes. She needs rest.¡± I answer. ¡°I have been nothing, but a babysitter. I want to help her too. I couldn¡¯t do much over at the Old Continent, but I can at least report back to the King here.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that taking care of a child counts as useless...¡±


    I stop for a moment. I forgot. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    The kid shakes his head. ¡°Not at all.¡±


    ¡°What do you need?¡± A Balli girl asks us.


    ¡°One cab for two to Araneum.¡± Percy handles it, giving her the coins.


    ¡°That one.¡± She points to a smaller carrier. We get in and fly off.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to tag along? You don¡¯t look so great.¡± I try changing the subject.


    ¡°I''ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Will you stay at the palace?¡± I ask again.


    ¡°Yes. I have a ton of research to add to the RRD.¡± Right.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome at the cabin any time, you know that.¡± I stare at our overly exhausted Cleanser.


    ¡°I am grateful.¡± He smiles at me with his tired eyes.


    ¡°Percival, if there''s anything I can help you with, please let me know. I mean it.¡±


    ¡°Please take good care of Miss Laira. I don¡¯t think she''s cut out for these things, even though she tries so hard... But I also know that she will never back out either.¡±


    I smile. ¡°How long have you thought this way?¡±


    ¡°Ever since I spoke to her about the RRD.¡± He keeps his gaze on the window. ¡°I was an idiot to rely on her just because she was there... I wish I knew how to make it up to her... Her burdens are my fault...¡± He whispers.


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± I raise my hand up. ¡°Just. Don¡¯t. We both know we probably won¡¯t live long enough to see how everything will turn out. There isn''t anyone besides them who can do this more than once.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean it should be her.¡± Percival finally looks at me. His eyes hard and cold.


    ¡°I know... I hoped...¡± I bite the sentence.


    ¡°That having Ether around will make her forget about the horror?¡± Percy glares at me.


    ¡°I hoped she''d focus on the present, rather than the future.¡± I confess. His stare weakens.


    ¡°Do you ever regret falling for her? Considering.¡±


    ¡°Considering our lifespan?¡± I smile at the kid. He nods.


    ¡°Everyday. Everyday I regret being what I am. And yet, at the same time. I can¡¯t be certain I would have met her otherwise.¡± I gaze out the window too. ¡°Are you in love with Laira?¡± I finally ask.


    ¡°No. You have nothing to worry about.¡± Percival looks right at me. His voice firm. ¡°I have too much respect for Miss Laira, almost as much as I have for the Lady. I¡¯m merely concerned...¡± He quiets down... ¡°She cried when I asked her to take the lead of the RRD... I didn¡¯t realize it at the time... It seemed like a natural idea, since I''ll probably won¡¯t make it anyways... I had no idea...¡±


    ¡°How much she cares for her family and friends?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The kids answers. ¡°I have been feeling guilty ever since...¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± I admit. Our carrier lands with a loud thud. We get out and walk toward the palace, straight ahead. The Palace only seems close enough. It''ll take us about 15 minutes to get there. And another 10 to get to the Throne room. I go back to the conversation we just had. When did Percy grow up? No, that''s not it. He''s always been mature. That proves it. Breeze is right to worry about him. I hope Ether can be good friends with him. I smile at the thought. We reach the courtyard. I grab the first high ranking Royal Robe I see and ask him where His Majesty is.


    ¡°And you are?¡± The Cornutese geezer snarls at us.


    ¡°The Rebirth Research Division.¡± I tell the old fart. ¡°We have urgent matters to report to the King.¡±


    ¡°I see. One moment.¡± He steps aside.


    ¡°Think they''ll let us through?¡±


    ¡°We haven''t been around for what? Five months-ish? He''s not getting any younger.¡± I whisper. Percy chuckles silently.


    ¡°His Majesty is waiting for you.¡± The Robe nods and walks away.


    ¡°Good thing we know the way.¡± I roll my eyes. ¡°You wanna go first?¡±


    ¡°We''ll see what he asks first. I understand there have been issues accessing Lady Hannah''s research.¡±


    ¡°Apparently.¡± I agree. Laira got turned down each time she tried. We navigate the curvy corridors of the stone palace. Two guards stop us by the Throne room.


    ¡°We are expected.¡± I stare them down. They hesitate and let us through. We enter the hall.


    ¡°Ah! My favorite division! How is everything!¡± The King greets us with arms wide open. Lovely.


    ¡°Good, Your Highness, appreciate the concern.¡± We make a quick kneel. "Skyrider and I have come to report back to you."


    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ve been looking forward to this.¡± His smile gives him away. ¡°Where is miss Evergreen?¡±


    ¡°Resting. I¡¯m afraid that dealing with the RRD has taken its toll on her. We have come in her stead. Is that acceptable?¡± I keep my voice calm and cold.


    ¡°Ah, I see. Yes, of course.¡± He hesitates for an instant. ¡°Now then, what good news do you gentlemen have for me?¡± He flashes an eager grin.


    ¡°We have successfully procured finest quality Enchanted Herbs, straight from the Greenhouses of Cobalus, for half the original price.¡± Percival announces proudly. The look on the Kings face. Priceless....


    ¡°How did you ever achieve such a feat?¡±


    ¡°We will have to provide transportation and protection of the goods from Crepitus to Existara.¡± Percival''s confidence shrinks immensely. I speak up instead.


    ¡°The trips will count as training for the Army''s and the Navy''s recruits. The expenses won¡¯t increase by much, as the money from the discount will be used for supplies. We do advise to make the deal official and perpetual between the King of Concord and Ballista. This way, the supply will continue on till the next Rebirth.¡± The King¡¯s face is not fond of the idea... Mostly probably because it means he won¡¯t be ruling the world... Not our problem.


    ¡°I shall take this into consideration. Anything else?¡± He glares.


    ¡°Yes. Percival takes over. The RRD proposes to establish a Military Base near the site of Rebirth¨C¡°


    ¡°What for?¡± The King cuts in.


    ¡°Research and preparation purposes.¡± Percival takes a few scrolls out of one of his bags. ¡°There used to be one right here.¡± He walks over to the massive table and rolls the maps out, one by one, on top of each other. The King''s curiosity gets the better of him. He leans in, as nonchalant as he can manage.


    ¡°We believe that conducting research near the site will increase our chances of success.¡± Percy goes straight to the point.


    ¡°What research would that be?¡±


    ¡°The radius of Rebirth, how deep the malice goes, does it intensify or spread...¡± Percival drags out his tone, making it sound as boring as possible.


    ¡°I see. Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We can start preparations now that will help during the battle. For that we propose to reinstate a Military Base. It will be easier to gather the troops there too, allowing the Royal Army to deal with other matters.¡± Percival handles the King like a pro. I smile.


    ¡°Other matters? I am not funding two separate fighting forces!¡± The King quickly flares up.


    ¡°You won¡¯t have to. We''ll ask for volunteers.¡± I step in. ¡°Have to believe there are some who want world peace.¡±


    ¡°Volunteers?¡± The King pauses.


    ¡°Yes. In exchange for new techniques and training we''ll ask volunteers to help with preparations for Rebirth. That will include building of the base as well. Of course. Should any of the current Army troops express their wish to volunteer, they should retain their monthly payments as they are.¡± Percival takes over.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because they have been enlisted in the Army already.¡± I join in. ¡°However. From the moment you''ll announce looking for volunteers, you won¡¯t have to pay them, as you would for the Army troops. You would be offering them jobs, in a way. Together with knowledge, that they can learn for free of charge, while working for free too, of course.¡± His Majesty''s expression changes. Laira was right. He''s all about the money.


    ¡°You sure sound confident. Is this knowledge of yours that valuable that people will want to work for free to gain it?¡± I hate to admit it, but he does have a point.


    ¡°Your Highness, are you aware of my Reflector ability?¡±


    ¡°Yes. One of the rarest types. Able to control any Force of Choice, but unable to produce it.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Tell me, Your Highness, do you see anyone casting anything, here, in this room at the moment?¡±


    The King does a full revolution around himself. ¡°No.¡± His voice gives away his confusion. I take a Vial and start mumbling. I break it, letting the fire merge together with a handful of dust and air. I grab the flames and spin them around myself in blazing waves. I shoot them upward and let the fire burn up. That leaves me with one Fire left. I need to restock...


    ¡°How...¡± The King staggers in place.


    ¡°It''s a secret." I grin. I put the broken Vial back into the other pouch, full of used Vials, clanging the glass quietly.


    ¡°This is only the beginning.¡± Percival adds.


    ¡°I see.¡± His Majesty is intrigued.


    ¡°In time, the base should be able to produce income for itself to sustain it too.¡± Percy continues. ¡°Once the Rebirth is dealt with, we''ll have all this land to develop.¡± He purposely skips over the part to keep the site in check. I don¡¯t think the King even cares anymore, if he''ll even be alive to see it happen...


    ¡°Your Majesty, you have the once in a life time opportunity to go down in history as the one to unite all of the Original Nations, for the sake of saving our world as we know it.¡± Well now, Percy¡¯s quick to pick up bad habits. I grin, as I watch our little Cleanser grow up right before my eyes.


    ¡°Sir, you shall be the one to receive the credit for what will be known as the greatest victory.¡± Percival takes advantage of the King''s silence and grabs the opportunity by the horns. Ha! Wow. The kid''s good. The King is gleaming.


    ¡°You''ll have it done. I shall make a pact with the Original Nations! They will honor it!¡± He paces quickly. ¡°What else?¡± Now¡¯s our chance.


    ¡°We have been running into some issues, regarding the successor of late Lady Hannah. We need their knowledge for the last piece of the puzzle.¡±


    ¡°What issues? I never heard of anything?¡± The King''s riled up plenty. He''s clearly annoyed with something that is getting in the way...


    ¡°We were told on multiple occasions that the successor refuses to make contact with the RRD. Lady Hannah''s research on disease is crucial for us.¡± Percival pitches in.


    ¡°Ridiculous.¡± The King waves his hands around. ¡°I will have no such thing. Leave it to me. Is that everything then?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± I bow. ¡°We appreciate the trouble.¡±


    Percival quickly rolls his maps up. ¡°Thank you for your time.¡± Percy bows.


    ¡°Not a problem.¡± The King nods. ¡°Let me know if there will be anything else you need.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± We bow again. ¡°If you''ll excuse us.¡± We leave the room. We put some distance between us and the Throne room and I break.


    ¡°You sly little devil you!¡± I jump Percy''s shoulders. ¡°Greatest victory, huh? The one to unite the Nations, huh? I see Laira''s bad influence is rubbing off on you." I ruff his hair up.


    ¡°I, honestly have no excuse...¡± The kid is mortified. I laugh.


    ¡°You did great. One thing though. The volunteers? How sure are you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I talked to Zaltem about that. The rumors have been spreading all this time. The number of Army recruits have already increased. And if they hurry to join the army - they will get paid still and get to volunteer for the RRD.¡±


    I stop at a halt. ¡°You clever devil. That''s why!¡± The kid blushes.


    ¡°Working outside of the Royal City allows troops to take their families with them...¡±


    ¡°Oooh. I see. ¡°That''s what you were aiming for?¡± I stare at him amazed. He nods.


    ¡°I hope it works. I already told the others to spread the word now.¡±


    ¡°Wow. Nice. Real nice. Scary. But nice.¡± I tell him.


    ¡°Thank you. I try my best.¡± He nods. ¡°I''ll be going then.¡±


    ¡°See ya later, come see Storm soon, she misses you.¡± I wink at Percy.


    ¡°I''ll come round tomorrow. Promise!¡± He keeps his eyes to me. He''ll show up. I can see it. I take a second to soak in the proud moment. I make my way to the Stables, grinning like a lunatic all the way. I look for my Robastant. I got him back, after old man Tonso passed. He borrowed him for the battle... I find my name tag on one of the gates. I realize I never really gave the guy a name... Even Crile has Axe... I stare at the tag for a moment¡­ Marcus Tallen. Tarus. I laugh for a quick breath.


    ¡°Tarus. Come here boy. Remember me?¡± I open the gates. The bull-horse mix stands up, shakes the hay off and stares at me. Wait. Riiight. I bet you guys are one of the Cornutese successful productions too, huh? I freeze up at the sight and the idea combined. This trip has been one revelation after another¡­ He walks over to me in a few easy steps and nudges me with his gigantic bull''s nose. I snap out of it and pat him.


    ¡°From now on, your name will be Tarus, you like?¡± I ask the creature walking him outside. The coat flares up dark red in the sunlight. It''s gotten colder while we were gone... I get on Tarus and we ride off. Robastants aren¡¯t the fastest, but they sure are the sturdiest mounts. They can take a few spears to the side before they will give up. Horses are easier to take down. Not to mention Oscinians. Those over grown battle chickens are the weakest. If it weren¡¯t for their speed, they''d be useless. Oh. Snow. I see a few patches, as we dash through the woods back to the cabin. I smile at the idea of having a snowball fight with Laira and...


    ¡°Ether!! Sweetyyy!!¡± I hear Laira''s voice. I jump of my mount.


    ¡°Marcus!¡± She runs over to me, tripping over her robe. ¡°I can''t find him!! I looked all over the cabin!! Every room! Every bed! Every under it! He''s not here! Anywhere!¡± The horrified expression says it all.


    ¡°Where were the two of you last?¡±


    ¡°Kitchen. I went into the cellar just for a moment to look for anything edible, I forgot to pick something up and¡­¡± She crashes to her knees...


    ¡°Where are the dragons?¡± I ask trying to keep my cool.


    ¡°Hunting...Probably. He''s not in the stables either...¡± She adds gasping for air... A cry echoes in the distance. A child''s cry...


    ¡°ETHER!¡± Laira jumps up and rushes towards the forest. I follow her.


    ¡°ETHER!!¡± She calls again. A roar. That''s definitely not Ether... We hurry to where the terrified cries are coming from.


    ¡°Marcus!!¡± Laira screams out in horror. Oh Gods, please no... A bear¡¯s back comes into view... Next to it - a child huddled up between the giant roots...


    ¡°LAIRA, GET ETHER!¡± I shout out to her. ¡°Over here you overgrown throw rug!!¡± I grab a stone and throw it at the beast. Great!! THAT''S ALL I AM WORTH? I see Laira sliding under the roots and casting a dome of Vines around herself and our boy... I grab the last Fire Vial and break it in my hand. Come on! Work! I pour the mana into it, chanting as fast as my tongue can manage. It barely even lets out a spark... COME ON!! The damn bear is right in front of me... One paw swipe and I''m... A burst of flames shoots out from my palm, just in time to surprise the fur monster. It scares it just enough for me to add a gust of the Herbs and increase the power. I can do this... I mutter the words. I keep the flame going and circle the beast away from Laira and Ether. The fire dies down. Not yet! No, no, no! NOT YET! I fail to maintain the power and the flame weakens. I quickly grab another handful of dust and throw it in the fire. Better than nothing. It gives the flame a bit of a boost. Another flare. The beast roars. I take my dagger out and charge the bear. I slide under it and stick the blade into its chest. The beast roars, standing on its hind legs. My toothpick did not do anything besides irritate it even more... I roll out of the way of the raging bear, a little too late...


    ¡°LAIRA, GET ETHER!!¡± Marcus shouts to me. I pick up speed the last few steps and slide in, under the roots. I grab crying Ether into my arms and quickly enclose us into a dome. The boy screams, shaking in my embrace. The bear claws at the Vines, my casting barely keeps up...¡±


    ¡°It''s ok, baby, it''s ok now. We''re here now.¡± I hold him to me. I hear the sound of a fire blazing. Marcus is fighting. Alone. I need to help... I feel a squeeze on my stomach. Ether has his tiny hands clutching onto my robe, with his face buried in me.


    ¡°Sweet baby. It''s ok. It''s ok...¡± I stroke his hair as my tears drop down on him... Another roar... Marcus... Another roar... Please... Ether cries louder... My body trembles...


    ¡°Sweetness...¡±


    ¡°Marcus!¡±


    ¡°It''s ok now...¡± I hear his voice tell me from a distance... I release the spell and look around. Marcus waves to me, a few yards away... I pick Ether up and run over to him... The bear is on its side, right next to him... With a burnt paw and an ice spike in the throat... Marcus is covered in blood... With his right leg and arm completely crushed... I kneel next to my man, put the child down and freeze...


    ¡°Hey, sweety, did we scare you?¡± Marcus speaks to our boy... ¡°I''m sorry...¡± His pulse is weak... I want to help and yet I don''t have the foggiest where to start!


    ¡°It''s ok now... Don''t cry...¡± Marcus puts his hand on Ether''s face.


    ¡°Don''t die...¡± A tiny voice speaks from the boy. ¡°Don''t die...¡± He says it again... Marcus laughs clumsily. I finally snap out of it and reach into my holster for a potion. I stick it right into Marcus''s mouth. He coughs, but manages to drink it.


    ¡°I won''t die...¡± He says. Ether starts crying again. I quickly wrap Marcus''s limbs in Vines.


    ¡°We''re getting you to the Infirmary. Now.¡± I tell him.


    ¡°I won''t make it...¡± Marcus says to me...


    ¡°He''ll be here soon...¡± I look up the sky, ignoring the stupid Mage. A roar from above comes thundering down on us. Meteor. With Marcus half dead he rushed over.


    ¡°Good boy. He can''t land here.¡± I pick Marcus up as best I can and try to walk him to a more open area. Meteor doesn''t have that patience. He torches a few trees, burning them up, to make room for himself and puts the remaining flames out with the pressure from his wings as he lands next to us. I climb up, put Marcus next to the nape of the neck and use the Vines to strap him in, letting them slither around the dragons scaled neck. I jump down, grab Ether and climb back up the dragon.


    ¡°Palace.¡± Is all I say and we take off. I cling onto Meteor the same way Ether clings to Marcus.


    ¡°PERCIVAL!¡± I scream inside my head.


    ¡°You startled me.¡±


    ¡°Help! Marcus is! He!¡± Random words juggle inside my head.


    ¡°What? What is it? Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°He''s Dying! Help!¡± Is all I manage.


    ¡°WHAT! I SAW HIM AN HOUR AGO!¡±


    ¡°There was a bear and Ether and...¡± I can¡¯t...


    ¡°A what? A bear? Never mind! Where are you!¡±


    ¡°We''re coming in on Meteor. We''re almost here.¡±


    ¡°Ok. I''m on my way.¡±


    ¡°Please...¡± I clutch the Vines... Meteor roars and circles the sky.


    ¡°Just land!¡± I kick his scales, almost falling off. He roars again and lands, carefully. I grab Ether and slide down the dragon. I go back up and unhook Marcus. He''s barely conscious. I struggle to get him down. Meteor stretches out his wing. Gotchya. I nod and slide down it with Marcus in my arms.


    ¡°Miss!¡± Percival''s voice reaches me. I look around. I see him running to me with some other Cleansers right behind him.


    ¡°Miss! What happ¨C¡° His face freezes mid breath.


    ¡°Get him inside NOW! I NEED RAVOS AND CLEANSERS STAT!!¡± His voice changes. I help a few guys get the cocooned Marcus on a stretcher and they carry him away quickly. I crash to my knees and scream out.


    ¡°PERCIVAL!!¡± A voice screams inside my head. I stagger in place. My head rings.


    ¡°You startled me.¡±


    ¡°Help! Marcus is! He!¡± Random words ring inside my mind. Something''s off.


    ¡°What? What is it? Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°He''s Dying! Help!¡± Is all I hear.


    ¡°WHAT! I SAW HIM AN HOUR AGO!¡± My body moves on its own.


    ¡°There was a bear and Ether and...¡±


    ¡°A what? A bear? Never mind! Where are you!¡± I ask running toward the Infirmary.


    ¡°We''re coming in on Meteor. We''re almost here.¡± She says.


    ¡°Ok. I''m on my way.¡± I pick up speed. To hell with this! I jump out the first window I see and run across the yard.


    ¡°There''s an emergency!¡± I start shouting. ¡°I need help!¡± I yell running across the yard like a deranged person.


    ¡°Master Percival?¡± A voice. I stop and look around. A girl.


    ¡°Are there any high skilled Cleansers around?¡±


    ¡°Yes. A few.¡± She nods.


    ¡°Please get them and bring them near the entrance. We have a patient incoming in critical condition! Any Ravos too!¡± I run off again. I see the dragon. I rush over.


    ¡°Miss! I ¡°call out and she turns to me with Sir Marcus in her arms.


    ¡°Miss! What happ¨C¡° Half of his body has been mummified with Vines. Oh Gods... I hear a noise behind me.


    ¡°Get him inside NOW! I NEED RAVOS AND CLEANSERS STAT!!¡± I hear a voice that''s not mine yet it comes out of my throat. Miss Laira helps a few guys get the wrapped-up Sir Marcus on a stretcher and they carry him away. She crashes to her knees and screams out in agony. Ether stands there watching her. His eyes red and face puffy... I smack myself in the face and crouch down by the Miss. I take her by the shoulders and shake her.


    ¡°LAIRA!¡± I hear something come out of my throat. The wet yellows stare at me.


    ¡°Get a grip! I need you to focus! Tell me what happened! His injury!¡± Silence. ¡°NOW, DAMN IT!¡± I scream in her face.


    ¡°Crushed. His right side. Crushed. Arm and leg. Internal damage. Possible.¡± She speaks in hacked sentences.


    ¡°What did you do? Treatment!¡± I ask again.


    ¡°Potion. Health. Vines. Preserve.¡± She stares at me without blinking. Potion and Vines to sustain him. Ok. Crushed. Bones gone, probably. Muscle damage. Right side... Organs... I take a breath.


    ¡°He won¡¯t die.¡± I promise you. I tell the Miss. I look at Ether. He stares at me with his greys. No doubt. No panic. No question. A cold, hard look.


    ¡°I promise.¡± I tell him and run back inside.


    ¡°Master!¡± The same girl waves to me in one of the doorways. ¡°In here!¡± I run in.


    ¡°Status.¡± I throw my robe off and dip my hands into boiling water, purely out of habit.


    ¡°Alive. Barely. For now.¡± She tells me.


    ¡°Where''s Zaltem?¡± I look around.


    ¡°Not here yet.¡± Someone says.


    ¡°On his way.¡± Another voice.


    ¡°We used a few potions. But the Vines...¡± Another voice.


    ¡°Remove them slowly. Right arm and leg are crushed. Possible internal damage. I want every bone fragment out of the flesh and anything usable - salvaged. Heal the muscle as you go along. Work fast and work thorough.¡±


    ¡°Percy...¡± Sir Marcus reaches for me. I take his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t...bother...¡±


    ¡°Shut THE HELL UP!¡± I snap at him, squeezing his hand. ¡°I made a promise to save you and I¡¯m going to SEE TO IT EVEN IF IT KILLS ME! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO! YOU WERE FINE LIKE AN HOUR AGO! DAMN IT!¡± The words spill out of me... I hear a faint giggle and panic fills the room.


    ¡°We''re losing him!¡±


    ¡°THE HELL WE ARE!¡± I press my hands down on his chest and start casting. As if. Not on my watch.


    ¡°I need Herbs! Enchanted ones NOW!¡± A noise follows and a pouch appears next to me. I take one hand off the Sir''s chest and move it around to his side. I take a handful of the Herbs and hold them next to an open flesh wound, letting them seep into his body. I move the two hands in a crescent moon manner and begin pulling on nothing. I chant the spell and move my hands, imitating waves. As long as the heart doesn¡¯t stop...


    ¡°We need more potions!¡± Someone yells. I see Ravos and Cleansers working together on the crushed limbs. Bone shards are being removed from the flesh. I keep the chant going, as I push and pull the air around the heart. Rocking it. Keeping it beating. Nice and steady. Just enough to keep the blood pumping. Not on my watch.


    ¡°I promise.¡± Percy tells Ether. His back is all I see as he runs off. I gasp for air. My lungs are on fire. My chest aches. I can¡¯t breathe... Marcus... I... Need to... Help... I can¡¯t... Move... I feel a nudge. Vision¡¯s a blur. I turn my eyes. Ether. His tiny shape with horns... The fuzzy image of his figure... I focus my attention on him. I can¡¯t get a single gulp of air in yet. I feel something. A hug. I look down. The view is clearing up. I see him. Hugging me. I see him. I finally manage to take in a breath.


    ¡°Help.¡± I whisper. ¡°HELP ME!¡± I scream inside my head again.


    ¡°Laira?¡± A voice.


    ¡°What is it? Talk to us!¡± Breeze.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Crile. I gasp for air.


    ¡°Marcus is dying. He got injured and...¡±


    ¡°WHAT! WHEN! HOW!¡±


    ¡°HELP ME!¡± I wake up from a scream inside my head.


    ¡°Laira?¡± I ask the darkness.


    ¡°What is it? Talk to us!¡± Breeze sits up in panic next to me on the bed.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I focus my attention.


    ¡°Marcus is dying. He got injured and...¡± Laira breaks up.


    ¡°WHAT! WHEN! HOW!¡± Breeze screams out, waking up the twins. I crawl out of the bed to them.


    ¡°Just now...¡± A tiny tremble... ¡°I don¡¯t know if he''ll make it...¡±


    ¡°Is Percy with you?¡± I put Xan on my shoulder and place a hand on Rei''s belly.


    ¡°LAIRA! IS PERCY THERE WITH YOU!¡± Breeze repeats the question scaring the kids again. She finally snaps out of it and comes over too. She takes Reina into her arms.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Finally an answer!


    ¡°Then you have nothing to worry about.¡± I tell Laira swaying in place with Xander. ¡°Trust in Percival.¡±


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know what to do...¡± I feel the desperation in her voice...


    ¡°Of course you do!¡± Breeze takes over. ¡°You''re a mother now! You don¡¯t have the luxury of mopping around! You have Ether to think about!¡±


    ¡°I have to help Marcus...¡±


    ¡°You can help him by taking care of Ether! Get a grip, damn it!¡± Breeze is harsh.


    ¡°Is that what you call though love?¡± I whisper to her.


    ¡°Shush you.¡± She silences me and I smile.


    ¡°Laira! Focus! Marcus is in good hands! Let Percy worry about helping him. You worry about yourself and most importantly Ether! Do you understand me!¡± Zarri''s tone may be rough, but her face is in pain. The moonlight reflects in the frustrated tears on her face... I put the sleeping Xan back into the cradle. I take a robe off the floor and put it around my wife''s naked shoulders.


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    ¡°You''ll catch a cold.¡± I whisper to her, taking our girl from her.


    ¡°Laira, you have nothing to worry about. Marcus will be as good as new once Percy finishes. Breathe, ok?¡± Just breathe.¡± I tell her softly. Trying my best to hide my frustrations too.


    ¡°Ok...¡± She tells us.


    ¡°We''re here for you.¡± Breeze tells her wrapping her arms around herself.


    ¡°Right.¡± Laira''s voice goes quiet.


    ¡°PERCIVAL!!!¡± Zarri roars, splitting my head in half, again.


    ¡°IM IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING HERE!!¡± The kid answers with an angry gusto. I giggle.


    ¡°We KNOW! HOW IS HE!¡± Breeze snaps again. Her body trembling and not from the cold...


    ¡°Alive!! For now...¡± I feel the worry in his voice. I lay Rei down and hug Breeze.


    ¡°Can you do it?¡± I ask Percy.


    ¡°I WILL do it.¡± Ha! Good answer. I smile.


    ¡°He''s all yours.¡± I tell him.


    ¡°Leave it to me.¡± Is the last thing we hear. Breeze twitches in my arms... My chest wet and warm...


    ¡°He''ll be fine. You heard the kid. He''ll take care of it.¡± I stroke my wife''s hair. I never was much of a believer and I won''t start now, but I pray to the universe to give Percy the strength to make it happen...


    I get my breathing back in place and stand up, with Ether hanging on to me. I pat Meteor. His expression is what I feel like.


    ¡°It''ll be ok. Right. Percy said so. You stay here. We''ll check on him.¡± I pat his nose. The dragon makes a worried growl and curls up, hiding his head under his wing. I go inside the Infirmary. I see a girl run into a room. I follow her. I peek inside. I see Percy''s back. This is it. I quickly turn away and walk over to the side. These are the operation chambers. I slide down to the floor, with Ether in my lap. Only then it hits me.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± I ask our boy. He shakes his head. I reach into my pouch for a snack. I find two cookies from the ship.


    ¡°Here.¡± I give them to him. He refuses again. I put them back.


    ¡°You tell me when you need something. Ok?¡± He nods.


    ¡°Oh! Lady Evergreen!¡± A Balli girl stands next to us. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t sit here. You''ll catch a cold. You can wait in one of the empty rooms there, if you wish to...¡±


    ¡°It''s fine.¡± I cut in. ¡°There''s no telling when an emergency can happen. We''ll wait here, if that''s ok?¡± I stare at her with a blunt look. She hesitates, but nods.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I tell her quietly. She leaves us. We sit there. Waiting. I listen to the sounds. I feel like being underwater... I hum a melody from a lifetime ago... Tears roll over me... Memories of my childhood flood me... I clutch onto Ether... I can¡¯t do this... Please... I beg the universe... Please... I... Footsteps echo through the stone corridor.


    ¡°Miss Evergreen!¡± A familiar voice reaches me. I look up.


    ¡°Zaltem!¡± I stand up, cradling Ether. ¡°Save him! Please!¡± I break down again.


    ¡°On it.¡± He nods and goes into the room. I slump back onto the floor and sob quietly...


    ¡°Miss... Miss...¡± A whisper wakes me up.


    ¡°How is he?¡± I mumble.


    ¡°We''re working on it.¡± I focus my gaze. Zaltem''s face comes into view. Drained. ¡°You should take your boy and go home for the night. We''ll keep going till it''s done.¡± I want to argue, but I can''t. I stand up.


    ¡°Alright then. Appreciate it.¡± Is all I say and leave the Infirmary. I walk to Meteor. He greets us with his light.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home. They said they will take care of him.¡± I tell the dragon. He lets us climb on. With everything going on I failed to notice Ether''s behavior. I feel like this should be his first time encountering a dragon yet he doesn¡¯t seem scared. I focus my attention on the boy. His face is swollen and his eyes are red. He has a worried yet focused expression on his tired face. It doesn¡¯t take long for Meteor to take us back. I jump off first and catch Ether. I hold him up for a moment longer.


    ¡°This is Ether. He''s ours now. Say hi.¡± I tell Meteor. He sniffs the boy. Ether watches the dragon.


    ¡°This is Meteor, he''s Marcus''s dragon. Go on.¡± I encourage him. Ether looks back at me for a moment and puts his hand on the scaled body. He swipes it to the sides a few times and smiles.


    ¡°There we go. I let them have a moment. I hear a roar and see the other''s come out too. Storm runs over flapping her wings to greet us. Sky follows her lead, just without the gustful winds.


    ¡°Hi, girl, you good?¡± I pat her. She almost purrs. Ether carefully stretches his little hand to her.


    ¡°This is Storm. She used to be Breeze''s dragon, and Meteor was Crile''s.¡± I tell our boy. He quickly looks at me surprised. Storm gives the little guy a sniff too and nudges him slightly. Ether giggles and pets her. I see Sky watching me from a bit of a distance.


    ¡°It''s ok. Come over.¡± I wave to the shy dragon. Storm steps aside and Sky creeps in.


    ¡°This is my dragon. His name is Sky.¡± I tell our boy. ¡°Sky, this is Ether. He''ll be living with us from now on.¡± I tell my dragon. The look he has on him...


    ¡°Sky used to belong to Starlight. She was a friend of ours. She was Cornutese, just like you.¡± I tell Ether. He turns his little head to me in awe. I put Ether down and let him approach Sky by himself. The dragon keeps staring at the little one. I wonder if he thinks it''s Star, or something... Judging by his eyes, he might be... Sky hesitates for another moment. Ether reaches for him. Sky lowers his nose down, bit by bit. He hovers over Ether, taking in his scent. He circles his head over the boy one more time before letting him touch his nose. Ether strokes the dragon''s scales even more carefully than he did with the other two. Sky retracts and stares at me again. I pick Ether back up into my arms.


    ¡°All good?¡± I ask them. Ether nods. Sky blinks. I turn to Meteor. ¡°Now then, get inside and be ready to move out. I''ll come get you when I need you. Ok?¡± The dragon lets out a tiny, sad roar. I take our boy inside the cabin. It''s pitch black in here. Our Light Stones died without the mana supply... Not that I need them. I remember clearly what the place looks like... We go into the bathroom to wash up a little. I take some candles out from under the basin and light them up. I help Ether out of his dirty clothes and pat him down with a damp towel. I realize I have nothing here to change him into. All of the bags are still in the living room. I wrap him up in a towel and leave him on the stool. I wash my hands and face. I stare into the mess of a reflection in the mirror over the basin, with the gloomy light dancing on my face...


    ¡°Right. Focus.¡± I let my hair down and give them a quick brush over. I braid them and pin them up again.


    ¡°Right, let''s get you changed.¡± I take Ether and a candle into my arms, and we go raid the bags. I let him mess around in the dark till he finds a pair of pajamas to wear. He puts the shirt and the shorts on.


    ¡°How about something to eat before we call it a night?¡± He nods with a smile. Except that we barely have anything... I go look for something down in the cellar again. This time I take Ether with me. He clings to me again. This place must look scary in the weak light... There should be something... I take a jar of mixed vegetables and some white grains... Ether watches my every move as he sits there on the counter. I place the stupid candle next to us. I get the Spark Stones and start a fire under the stove. It resembles a fire place rather than the kitchen stove. I get the fire going and put the pot with water on it. I take a pan with some oil and let it heat up before tossing in the veggies. I sprinkle them with some sugar. It has vinegar in it, it should help ease the acidity. I taste them and give a piece to Ether.


    ¡°Try it and see if you like it.¡± He bites it and chews slowly. He smiles and nods.


    ¡°Ok then.¡± I add a dash of salt and pepper in and let them fry a little longer. The water boils in the pot. I pour the grains in with a tablespoon of salt, stir for a bit and put the lid back onto the clay pot. It''ll be a bit before the grains are done... I close off the fire a bit more under the pan and let it roar under the pot. I rustle in the cupboards for some tea. Calming Herbs. I smile at the label Percy made. I put it back. I take some black tea and make us two cups with some honey. An extra teaspoon for Ether. I need to go shopping. We made sure not to leave anything before setting off, so now there''s nothing here... I set the plates out and put the fried veggies in.


    ¡°Have these first, the grains aren¡¯t done yet...¡± I try to smile. Ether nods and eats up. I take a few bites myself. I barely taste anything... I take the pot of the stove and let it rest till we get done with the veggies... I try the grains. Edible enough. I put some in a bowl for Ether and hand him a spoon instead of his fork.


    ¡°Eat as much as you can.¡± I tell him. ¡°And don¡¯t forget your tea.¡± I smile briefly. He nods. I slide the shutters on the fire and let it slowly burn up. Ether manages to clear his share. I toss the dishes in the wooden basin, get the cork in and pour some water over them. Ether hands me his empty cup too. I leave the dishes to soak and take Ether into my embrace again. I take the candle too and we go upstairs. I set Ether down on the bed with the candle on the nightstand.


    ¡°I''ll go change and be right back, ok?¡± I pat his head. He nods. ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere. Please.¡± I whisper as I leave him there. I return to the bathroom and light another candle. I take my robe and the light gear under it off with the shaky hands. I barely manage to keep it together. I step into the tub and let the freezing water wash over me for a brief moment. I quiver from the cold and quickly wrap myself up in a robe. I return to our boy.


    ¡°Do you need to go to the restroom?¡± I ask him crouching down. He nods. ¡°Alright.¡± I take the candle and Ether downstairs again. I set the light down next to the small basin in the restroom and let him take care of business. He steps out a few minutes later. I pour some water in the basin and I pick him up to let him wash his hands. We go back up, and cuddle up for the night... Ether passes out instantly. Brave little boy... I stroke his back over the covers. I gaze into the dark abyss till I too, pass out...


    I step outside into the dark hall. Miss Laira and little Ether are at their usual spot ¨C crashed on the floor, by the door. I sit down next to them... I see Ether open his eyes. I nod before he wakes the Miss up.


    ¡°He''s ok.¡± I whisper. ¡°Your dad''s fine.¡± I smile. He burrows himself back inside the Miss¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Commander?¡± I reach out.


    ¡°Percival! Dear gods what is going!¡±


    ¡°It''s over. We did all we could. He''s stable now.¡±


    A sigh of relief. ¡°You scared us for a second there.¡± Lady Breeze sounds exhausted...


    ¡°Thank you, Percival.¡± The Sir''s calm voice is a nice contrast to the Lady''s antsiness.


    ¡°Not at all. I just kept him alive... The others did all of the work...¡±


    ¡°And none of that work would have mattered if you hadn¡¯t kept him going till they finished.¡± Sir Crile tells me.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I answer.


    ¡°Get some rest. You need it. We''ll talk later.¡± Lady Breeze sounds so warm now. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure.¡± I answer.


    ¡°Is he ok now? Can we see him?¡± Miss Laira''s eyes stare at me in the dark.


    ¡°I figured you were asleep.¡±


    ¡°I just woke up.¡± She tells me quietly.


    ¡°Then go home. Come back in the morning. He''s stable and asleep. I''ll keep watch. You''ve been camping out here for two days.¡± I look at her. She fights it.


    ¡°Very well.¡± She gets up with the boy in her arms. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± I stand up too and see her off. I return to the operating room, where sir Marcus is sleeping soundly. I sit down on the chair in the corner.


    ¡°Did she leave?¡± Zaltem asks me.


    ¡°Yes. We need to move him out of here...¡± I didn¡¯t want her to see the bloody mess everywhere.


    ¡°Right then. One last job before we''re done here.¡± He stands up and some others do too. They take the stretcher with sir Marcus off the table and carry him out. I pick myself up and off the chair and fall to my knees. I brace for impact yet remain dangling in free fall.


    ¡°You''re beat too.¡± Zaltem speaks to me.


    ¡°I''ll rest when I die.¡± I straighten out and follow the rest of the party.


    ¡°You won¡¯t have to wait long at this rate.¡± He walks next to me.


    ¡°Tell me about it.¡± I sway as I walk, but manage to keep an upright position. The guys carry Sir Marcus to the resting wing. We got a private room for him. Pays off to be a Royal Hound... The team manages to transfer the Mage over to the bed. I crash in a chair again.


    ¡°You good here? Or would you like us to carry you too?¡± Zaltem pokes fun at me.


    ¡°I''ll be fine. Thanks for your hard work.¡± I bow my head to the others and everyone leaves. I don¡¯t hold out any longer and pass out cold...


    My head swims. I don¡¯t feel anything besides pain all over. I open my eyes. The light hurts them... I blink a few times. I try to look around.


    ¡°Marcus?¡± I hear a voice. Painfully familiar and warm...


    ¡°Marcus, can you hear me?¡± I feel something touch my skin. Who is Marcus? Wait. Me. I am. I''m Marcus. I look to the side. A blurry imagine stands next to me... I pour all of my strength into my eyeballs. I squint and ah, there we go.


    ¡°Hi, beautiful... Is this heaven?¡±


    ¡°Idiot!¡± I feel a weight on my chest and a squeeze on my hand.


    I gaze down. ¡°Hi, baby.¡± I try to smile.


    ¡°Dad!¡± I hear and cries follow. Dad!? Suddenly my visions a lot clearer. I see Laira on the chair next to me and Ether on my chest, bawling his tiny eyes out.


    ¡°Dad?¡± I ask out loud this time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t flatter yourself. He called me mom yesterday ago.¡± She grins proudly to me. I try to laugh. Ouch.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± She asks softly again.


    ¡°Hurt all over...¡±


    ¡°Good. Means you¡¯re alive.¡±


    ¡°I know that voice.¡± I try to lift my head off the pillow.


    ¡°You''ll be out of it a little longer before you can move.¡± Percival comes into the range of my vision. ¡°Welcome back.¡±


    ¡°Something tells me you had a lot to do with that.¡±


    ¡°Not only. A whole team of Cleansers and Ravos worked on you.¡± Laira tells me. I feel Ether quiet down under my palm.


    ¡°It took us working non-stop for a full day and a half with one night to put you back together.¡± Percy tells me. I focus my sight on him. He looks exhausted to say the least. ¡°You were out for another two days.¡±


    ¡°Appreciate the trouble.¡± I mumble.


    ¡°You¡¯d better.¡± The kid tells me. ¡°You get yourself in that kind of a condition again and I''ll finish the job instead of healing you.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± I let it slip and laugh painfully.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡± Huh? I look down. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry... I¡¯m sorry...¡± Ether keeps muttering between small gasps of air...


    ¡°Nooo, baby... It''s not your fault...¡± I stroke his head. ¡°You''re alright. I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t get hurt... ¡°


    ¡°But you almost DIED!!¡± He screams out and continues to sob.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. Ether. It''s ok. I knew the risks... I should have trained more...¡±


    ¡°You should have!¡± Laira sobs too. ¡°I should have...¡±


    ¡°Oh lords don¡¯t start again.¡± Percy cuts in. ¡°You have them to report too.¡± He tells me. I giggle.


    ¡°I''d rather not. I feel like I can die for real from that...¡±


    ¡°The faster the better.¡± He gives me a look that makes it very difficult to argue with him... ¡°Oh boy...¡± I reach for them.


    ¡°Knock knock?¡±


    ¡°MARCUS!! FINALLY!!¡± Breeze shouts inside my head.


    ¡°Welcome back to us.¡± Crile''s calm tone soothes the ringing.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± He asks.


    ¡°Hurt all over...¡± I answer.


    ¡°Good. Means you¡¯re not dead.¡± He tells me. I can just see the stupid grin on his face.


    ¡°WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!!¡± Breeze yells at me again.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t.¡± I admit. ¡°I saw my kid in danger and I acted. Isn¡¯t that what it means to be a parent?¡±


    Silence. Is my Lector stone broken? I hear a roaring laughter. Crile.


    ¡°Well said.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t argue with him when he puts it like that...¡± Breeze seems to have calmed a bit...


    ¡°Rest well. Talk later.¡± Crile finishes it.


    ¡°Sorry to have worried you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t. Even.¡± Breeze hisses at me and I smile.


    ¡°Later then.¡± I say.


    ¡°Well that went well.¡± I announce to the others. ¡°Help me up?¡± I reach out. Laira and Percy both assist me to sit up.


    ¡°How¡¯s that?¡± She asks adjusting the pillow.


    ¡°Great, thank you.¡± I look at our Cleanser. ¡°What did you do to me?¡± I stretch my right arm out.


    ¡°We tried to salvage whatever we could.¡± He tells me bluntly.


    ¡°You make it sound like I¡¯m a shipwreck.¡±


    ¡°Think of it however you like.¡± He shrugs his shoulders. ¡°Your joints had to be replaced with a cluster of Vines. We used them to, basically hang the bones with tiny threads from the muscle. That''s why you can still move. Lucky you it was mostly your elbow and shoulder that got most of the impact. Your hand there, retained your original structure.¡± He explains it to me. I stretch the fingers out and touch the elbow. Vines, huh?


    ¡°What else?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Same thing with your hip and knee. A portion of the ribs too. My estimate is, that you''ll require frequent maintenance.¡± Percy doesn¡¯t sugar coat it for me.


    ¡°It''s a good thing I¡¯m marrying a Ravo, then huh?¡± I smile at Laira.


    ¡°Marry?¡± Percy stares at me.


    ¡°He proposed on our way to Crepitus.¡± Laira answers.


    ¡°I''m looking forward to it.¡± The kid finally smiles at me. The door opens and the King walks in.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡± Laira bows and so does Percy. Ether slides of the bed and bows too.


    ¡°At ease.¡± The King waves them off. ¡°I heard what happened. I see you pulled through.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, pardon me for my lack of respect at the moment.¡± I nod. ¡°I feel honored to have the King himself check on me.¡±


    ¡°But of course. I heard a great deal on Skyrider''s performance during this operation. Tell me, that name?¡± He glares at Percy.


    ¡°Yes. Late Deathbreeze Skyrider passed down her dragon to me, Storm Skyrider. It was agreed during our trip to the Castle of Despair. I bonded with the dragon during that time too.¡± He''s good. Percival''s face is unreadable.


    ¡°Ah, and miss Evergreen? Weren''t you closer to our War Chieftain?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we were childhood friends. But I have the honor of taking care of late Lady Amana Starlight''s dragon, Sky Starlight. We had him renamed with my last name.¡±


    ¡°I see. What happened to Shadowkill''s dragon then? The black one.¡±


    ¡°Meteor is under my jurisdiction now.¡± I tell the King. Of course, he didn¡¯t come over to check on me. He was just baiting us to see if we''d slip up. Tough luck.


    ¡°I see. Very well. Now then, if you''ll excuse me.¡± The King leaves the room as abruptly as he entered it.


    ¡°What was that all about?¡± Percy asks.


    ¡°Testing us. He probably suspects us.¡± Laira answers.


    "Yet he didn''t say anything about your "last name" last time we saw him." I roll my eyes and my head aches again.


    ¡°I doubt he was paying attention that time, anyways, the entire fighting forces saw the dragons. No reason to think that wasn¡¯t believable.¡± Our Cleanser sits back down.


    ¡°Hope so.¡± Laira takes her place by my side, with Ether on the chair now.


    ¡°That reminds me, I heard from Zaltem, yesterday, was it? That we were finally granted access to Lady Hannah¡¯s research, well kind of?¡± Percival says.


    ¡°Kind of?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Why wasn¡¯t I told about this?¡± Laira stares at Percy. He ignores her.


    ¡°The King pressured the successor to meet with us, she agreed to do it, but that was all. Due to the situation¡­¡± He gives me a look. Sorry¡­ I avert my eyes¡­


    ¡°When can we meet her?¡± Laira asks our Cleanser.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to get in touch, but she¡¯s fighting it. I asked Zaltem to keep the pressure going, hopefully we¡¯ll hear something soon.¡± He explains.


    ¡°I want to be there when you go.¡± Laira insists, without giving the kid an option to decline.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.¡± He smiles briefly. I clear my throat.


    ¡°How long am I staying here?¡± I ask Percy.


    ¡°Till you manage to stand on your own. Which won''t be happening any time soon, so make yourself at home.¡±


    ¡°Great. The cabin''s a mess. I need to get a ton of things anyways.¡± Laira tells me, resting her head on mine.


    ¡°This what a care home feels like?¡± I ask someone.


    ¡°Be happy to have your private chambers.¡± Percy tells me. Right.


    ¡°Anyhow, I''ll leave you guys to it. Reach for me if you need anything at any time. I''m close by.¡±


    ¡°Percival. Thank you.¡± I give him my right hand. He shakes it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± The kid tells me and leaves the room.


    ¡°He''ll never admit it, but Percival kept you alive, without stopping, so the others could operate on you. He used his Shamanic casting.¡± Laira tells me quietly.


    ¡°How did he do that?¡±


    ¡°He used Air casting to stimulate your heart, to keep it from stopping. Zaltem told me.¡±


    ¡°He was involved too?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Because I was completely useless...¡± I feel her sob silently. I reach for her.


    ¡°You had Ether to take care of...¡±


    ¡°That''s what everyone tells me... I don''t know what I would have done without Percival and the others... I didn¡¯t have a single clue about what to do or anything...¡±


    ¡°You did plenty...¡± I feel her face. Wet from the tears... I look at Ether and he''s back to weeping too...


    I spend my days cooped up in the Infirmary chambers. Laira and Ether spend most of the afternoons here, keeping me company. Depending on Ether''s mood, he sometimes speaks, sometimes not. He hasn¡¯t called me dad since I woke up... The door opens.


    ¡°You guys are early today.¡± I speak, sitting up.


    ¡°Sorry to disappoint.¡± A husky female voice speaks to me.


    ¡°Oh. Captain Matile. What a surprise.¡±


    ¡°I''ll say. Not many survive hustling with a wild grizzly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I hear that a lot these days. Please. Take a seat.¡± I point to the chair.


    ¡°Oh that''s fine. I won¡¯t be long. Just wanted to check on you.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the trouble. Sorry to have worried you. Thank you for carrying.¡± I sing the same thing to everyone who stops by.


    ¡°I see you have plenty of visitations.¡± She smiles.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It''s fine. As a matter of fact, I came here to apologize...¡± Huh? I don¡¯t follow? ¡°Anyone willing to sacrifice themselves for a child is the right choice for them. I am sorry I ever doubted you.¡± Matile tells me. I find myself completely lost. I stare at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it may be due to my condition, but I don¡¯t follow?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t she?¡± The Captain pauses. ¡°I approached Evergreen about Ether. I suggested that perhaps me and my husband should take him...¡±


    ¡°Oh. Right. I forgot. Sorry, my head¡¯s a mess.¡± I lie with a smile. She shakes her head.


    ¡°Not at all. I understand. I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have taken up so much of your time. I hope you''ll be back in action soon.¡± She nods and leaves.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I tell her as she closes the door. Approached Evergreen about Ether? I cover my face with my hands and just sit there. The door opens again.


    ¡°Dad!¡± Ether jumps on the bed to hug me. I hold him to me.


    ¡°Hey there, how are you today?¡± Laira sets a bag down on the nightstand.


    ¡°Ether, honey, can you do me a favor and go find uncle Percy? I need to ask him something. Just don¡¯t get lost, ok?¡± I ask our boy.


    ¡°Sure!¡± Ether jumps down and walks out the room.


    ¡°We need to talk.¡± I stare at Laira.


    A knock on my office door snaps me back to reality.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I call out. The door opens and a horn at the knob level shows itself.


    ¡°Ether!¡± I jump out of my chair.


    ¡°Dad said he needs to ask you something.¡± He tells me. I take him by the hand.


    ¡°Ok, sure.¡± We walk back to Sir Marcus''s room. The boy has begun to speak sometimes. Judging by his sentences, it doesn¡¯t seem like he never knew how to speak before. It seems that he simply didn''t want to. Must''ve been some trauma or something that caused him to shut down... He''s not as shy anymore either... His confidence has been growing by the day¡­ Maybe that''s why he wondered off into the woods by the cabin? He felt comfortable with them? I look at the boy. His face has a weird expression. I stop for a moment. Loud voices reach my ears. We walk up to the room and...


    ¡°THE PROBLEM ISN¡¯T THAT YOU HANDLED IT!! IT''S THAT YOU DIDN¡¯T TELL ME!! HOW COULD YOU HAVE KEPT THIS FROM ME!!¡± That''s sir Marcus...


    ¡°BECAUSE!! LIKE I SAID!! I WENT BACK ON HOUR LATER AND SAID NO THANK YOU!! I DIDN¡¯T THINK IT WAS WORTH MENTIONING IT SINCE I WASN¡¯T GOING TO DO IT!!¡± That''s the miss...


    ¡°THAT¡¯S NOT THE POINT!! DID YOU THINK THAT I PROPOSED TO YOU JUST BECAUSE OF ETHER!!¡± A deafening pause... ¡°ANSWER ME!!¡±


    ¡°MAYBE!!¡±


    ¡°DAMN IT, LAIRA!!¡±


    ¡°They are fighting... Because of me... Again¡­¡± A tiny voice speaks from the boy. I slam the doors open.


    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± Now I roar at them. ¡°You two are a hundred years too early to be having these shouting matches!¡± Both of them stare at me without making a sound or a move. Ether on the other hand weeps silently next to me.


    ¡°You¡¯re scaring your son.¡± I tell the two idiots.


    ¡°Ether, I''m sorry...¡± The Miss kneels a few steps away from the boy. He slips his hand out of mine and dashes off, down the corridor.


    ¡°ETHER!¡± Sir Marcus tries to get up.


    ¡°DONT MOVE OR I''LL KILL YOU MYSELF!¡± I growl at the Mage. ¡°I''ll get him.¡± I run off. Damn the two idiots. I chase after the boy. I catch up to him right before we hit the communal beds.


    ¡°Ether, wait, wait, please.¡± I grab him. He squirms. A lot. ¡°Please wait. Listen. Hey. Easy. Easy.¡± I tell him. He keeps fussing, but less. I wait a moment longer.


    ¡°Do you like Marcus and Laira?¡± I ask the boy. He stops fighting. ¡°Do you like being with them?¡± I ask again. ¡°Do you think they will hurt you?¡± I ask again. He shakes his head.


    ¡°Of course not, because they would never.¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t fighting because of you. They are fighting because of them.¡± I try to explain it to the boy. "Sometimes parents fight with each other. But that doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t care about you.¡± He looks at me.


    ¡°Tell me, do you want to never see Laira and Marcus again?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Neither do they.¡± I pat his head. I stare at his horns that sir Marcus and I worked on, because they were so banged up, magic wasn''t able to fix them...


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to them. They worry about you. Ok?¡± He nods, wipes his eyes with the back of his hands and we walk back. If this is what it looks like being in love, then I''d rather not... I think to myself. We find the two idiots sitting quietly. The looks on their faces remind me of a funeral mood. The Miss notices us first. She staggers, trying to stand up, but sits back down instead. Ether hides behind me for a quick second... We wait. He lets go of me and runs over to the Miss, burying his face into her knees. His attachment to the two of them is growing stronger with each passing day... Strangely, nobody says anything. Silence rolls over us.


    ¡°Percival?¡± Zaltem¡¯s voice echoes in my head.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Miss Emalavi has agreed to meet with you.¡± He tells me. About damn time.


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°Now.¡±


    ¡°Say again?¡± I stare at my feet.


    ¡°She said she''ll meet with you now or never. To quote her.¡±


    ¡°On my way. Thank you, Zaltem.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± His voice disappears.


    ¡°Pardon me for breaking up your moment, but miss Emalavi has agreed to meet with me, so I''ll leave you guys now.¡± I tell the others, standing up.


    ¡°I''ll go with you.¡± The Miss picks up the boy and hands him to his father.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°Yes.¡± She answers sharp. Ok then.


    ¡°We better hurry then. She hasn¡¯t given us much time.¡±


    ¡°Have fun.¡± Sir Marcus smiles at us.


    ¡°Smartass.¡± I mumble walking out the door. Miss Laira follows me. Neither she, nor I say anything for a long moment. I wonder if I even need to say anything...


    ¡°Thank you and sorry.¡± She speaks to me. I steal a quick glance at her.


    ¡°I... I have no idea what you are talking about.¡± I blabber. She chuckles.


    ¡°We never had a reason to fight before. This is rather new for us...¡± She admits.


    ¡°Somehow that does not surprise me.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever been in love before?¡± She asks.


    ¡°Where is this coming from?¡± I stutter, staring at the Miss''s profile.


    ¡°I take it it''s a no then?¡± She smiles at me.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I confess. ¡°I have no idea what that feels like.¡±


    ¡°Love isn''t a feeling.¡± She whispers. ¡°It''s an ability. An adult person is either capable of it, or not. A child is able to learn how to love, as long someone guides them down the right path...¡±


    ¡°I never thought of it that way... Then maybe I simply don''t know how to love?¡± I ask myself.


    The Miss laughs under her breath again. ¡°Oh, you''re capable alright. You care deeply, that''s the first sign.¡± She smiles at me softly. I feel the skin on my face get warmer. Damn it. I quickly pinch myself in the leg. We arrive at the Medical Research wing. A Primerian girl greets us at the door.


    "Sir Skyrider, Lady Evergreen. We''ve been expecting you. Please. Follow me." We look at each other for a quick moment and let the girl guide us. We walk through the entire floor, all the way to the back. Our guide proceeds down the stairs.


    ¡°I have to wonder, where is it that you are taking us to?¡± The Miss asks coldly.


    ¡°Oh, fret not. This is where the research takes places, as not to disturb the rest of the work upstairs.¡±


    ¡°Thoughtful.¡± I say. We walk down a stone corridor, heavily lit across both sides with Light Stones. She stops by a door and opens it for us.


    ¡°Please. The Master is waiting.¡± We enter a room, that vaguely resembles an office. A Primerian woman in her mid-30s greets us, without looking up from her papers.


    ¡°You and your so-called division, have been pestering me for weeks now. I am a very busy person. Make it quick.¡± Did I say greet? I jumped ahead there.


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have had to pester you, if you simply agreed to help the Rebirth Research Division the first time we asked.¡± I recognize that tone. The Miss is itching for a fight. I wonder if it truly was a good idea to bring her with me?


    ¡°Did you not hear what I said?¡± Master Emalavi finally lifts her gaze up at us.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s not waste any more time.¡± The Miss says. ¡°Tell us everything you know about diseases and how to treat them.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± She laughs at us. ¡°For someone of your status I expected you to have more brain power.¡± She pauses. ¡°I can''t tell you that.¡±


    ¡°Do you refuse to cooperate with us even after receiving direct orders from the King of the Concord, himself?¡± Miss Laira keeps the pressure going.


    ¡°Do not twist my words, Evergreen.¡± Master Emalavi glares at the Miss. ¡°I cannot tell you everything about diseases. It would take me weeks to do that. If you have a specific inquiry in mind, then perhaps I would be able to help you. If not - leave. Now.¡± She goes back to her books.


    ¡°Percival. Feel free to take over any time now.¡± The Miss growls slightly inside my head.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I should...¡±


    ¡°Now!¡± She growls for real this time. Ok ok. This tension caught me off guard a little... Think, you! Aah.. I curse my lack of knowledge on the topic one last time...


    ¡°Well?¡± The Master pushes us.


    ¡°Flesh!¡± A word slips out of me. I clear my throat. ¡°I meant to say, flesh eating disease and its treatment.¡±


    ¡°Amputation is the most effective one I know.¡± Master Emalavi answers me with a smirk.


    ¡°We''re trying to preserve life here.¡± The Miss steps in again. The Master looks back at us again. She puts her feather down.


    ¡°Depending on the area of infection and how severe it is there really is no other treatment for flesh eaters other than the removal of the limb. However. If the disease has made its way toward the internal organs, than only death can cure it.¡± She takes a moment. We let her take the lead on this one.


    ¡°Now, if the disease is in its early stages, it can be slowed down and cured even, in some cases, with topical applications and Cleanser treatment.¡±


    ¡°What are the signs for the injection?¡± Miss Laira asks.


    ¡°It can appear as a rash, a cut or simply a change of color. There are variations. Some types appear and disappear randomly throughout an individual''s life span, without ever getting truly treated yet not causing much of a threat either.¡±


    ¡°And the treatment for all types are topical applications only?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Yes. Medicine that has been created for topical applications is not recommended for ingestion. The stomach acid would simply dissolve the drugs, without them ever taking effect. Some flesh wounds can only be healed externally. Applying healing spells to an injected area, without cleaning the wound first will do more damage. This is basic healing. I expected you, of all people, to be familiar with that.¡± Master Emalavi stares me down. I hold her gaze.


    ¡°Yes. I am well aware of that. However, diseases are something out of my area of expertise, as I have not yet lived long enough to be able to research it as well as you have. I have barely finished with poison. A question.¡± I pause.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Would it be possible to create a liquid version of the most effective ointment?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. But its effectiveness would drop significantly. That''s why we don''t use it.¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± The Miss cuts in.


    ¡°We don''t need to completely treat it, simply slow the process down while in combat.¡±


    ¡°So, it''s a flesh eating one we''re dealing with?¡±


    ¡°No. Rather. I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°Then why ask her about it?¡± She hisses at me. That feels familiar...


    ¡°I had no other ideas!¡±


    ¡°Is that all you two need?¡± The Master sounds annoyed.


    ¡°No.¡± I¡¯m quick to answer. ¡°We have reason to believe that we are dealing with a collective of diseases. I do think that flesh eating is the basis for it, as it is also the most bothersome to deal with. Especially on the battlefield. However. Further research might reveal other components.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°What we are asking is not answers, but cooperation. You have the perfect opportunity to be part of something that has never been achieved before.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you tell all of the fools?¡± The Master grins at me.


    ¡°It is the truth.¡± I hold my breath.


    ¡°As tempting as it is. I''m afraid our priority is medical treatment. Not combat.¡±


    ¡°And what if we told you we have a way of combining the two?¡± The Miss catches on and joins me.


    ¡°I''d say you''re bluffing.¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Miss Laira counters the Master''s hard stare with her own. ¡°We have a deal with the Greenhouses of Cobalus to be our provider for the Enchanted Herbs.¡±


    ¡°Impossible.¡± The woman sneers at us.


    ¡°And yet it is the truth.¡± The Miss holds her own.


    ¡°Well?¡± Now I pressure Master Emalavi.


    ¡°Fine. Have it your way. If you can deliver the Herbs, then we might be able to spare some man power for the new drug development. Don''t expect anything much though.¡± She drops her gaze back to her papers.


    ¡°The Rebirth Research division thanks you for your cooperation in the matter.¡± Miss Laira bows. I follow.


    ¡°We''ll be in touch.¡± I add as we leave the room.


    ¡°Now then. Care to share?¡±


    ¡°I figured we can train Ice Mages Shamanic Water casting to have them double as Combat Healers. They would only need to learn how to use both attributes at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Only! He says.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, it''s a good thing we have a lot of time for training. The way I see it, we can prevent the spreading by freezing over the affected area. Buying some time, at least.¡±


    ¡°That would make it somewhat easier... Along with the Herbs, it would be more battle efficient, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Perhaps the research will show us more what we are truly dealing with. Making it easier to find the counter measures...¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so... What''s the plan now?¡± The Miss asks me.


    ¡°First. I want to make sure Sir Marcus is back on his feet, before I proceed with anything Rebirth related. His rehab is my top priority now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Don''t mention it. I''ll come around to check on him later again.¡±


    ¡°Appreciate it.¡± Miss Laira smiles at me. ¡°Honestly, Percival, I don''t know what we would do without you.¡±


    ¡°Probably the same thing you have been doing before we met. I''m not that special...¡± A loud slap cuts me off mid-sentence. The left side of my face stings. It takes me a moment to realize what just happened. I slowly turn back to face the Miss. I see the frustration reflecting in her eyes.


    ¡°Don''t ever EVER again dare to ridicule your existence and skill and everything else that you are! Do you understand me!¡± I feel my neck moving slightly in agreement. I continue to stare at the Miss.


    ¡°Good! Then we''ll see you later!¡± She walks away from me, leaving me standing in the middle of the Medical wing, dumbfounded.


    ¡°Good! Then we''ll see you later!¡± I turn around and walk away.


    ¡°The nerve! Honestly!¡± I scowl a bit more on my way back to Marcus and Ether. I enter the room a bit harshly.


    ¡°Judging by your expression and your entry, it did not go well?¡± Marcus asks, letting Ether climb off the bed.


    ¡°No. It went fine. Considering. It''s Percival who pissed me off.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. Wait. What? Percy? Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes! You''d be dead right now if it wasn''t for him and he has the AUDACITY to brush it off as a MINOR detail!¡± I crash back into the chair mumbling still. Marcus bursts out laughing and quickly grabs his ribs.


    ¡°What is it? Does it hurt?¡± I come over to the bed. ¡°Let me see.¡± He waves me off. ¡°Don''t fuss."


    ¡°No. No. It''s fine. It hurts to laugh a bit.¡± He says giggling.


    ¡°And? What did you tell the kid?¡±


    ¡°I slapped him.¡±


    ¡°You what?¡± Marcus laughs again groaning in pain. ¡°Wow. Didn''t know you had it in you.¡±


    ¡°He deserved it.¡± I mutter. ¡°Are you sure you don''t want me to check you?¡±


    ¡°Yes yes, I''m fine. Now then. How was the meeting?¡± I notice Ether eagerly staring at me. I pick him up in my lap and sit down on the end of Marcus''s bed.


    ¡°We got her to agree to cooperate with us in the future, regarding development of new Combat-able Drugs.¡±


    ¡°That sounds interesting. Did Percival work his magic again?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes. Get this. He wants to train Ice Mages Shamanic Water casting and have them use it both at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Really? Huh.¡±


    ¡°What? I steer my gaze away from Ether''s smiling face and back at Marcus.


    ¡°Controlling more than one attribute? I wonder if he got the idea from me.¡±


    ¡°Oh. That would make sense.¡± I agree.


    ¡°Help me up?¡± He puts his legs down.


    ¡°Have someplace to be?¡± I mock him.


    ¡°Restroom.¡± He glares at me. Right.


    ¡°Sorry, my bad.¡± I put our boy down and help my future husband up on his feet.


    ¡°You good?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Barely.¡± We slowly move toward the restroom.


    ¡°Listen, about what happened before and the whole...¡± I struggle with words.


    ¡°Save it. I hate the fact that you didn''t tell me, but I hate fighting with you even more. I only want you to promise me one thing.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Talk to me.¡± Marcus looks up at me. ¡°That''s all I want.¡±


    ¡°Ok. I can promise that. I think...¡± I smile clumsily at him.


    He sighs with a smile. ¡°Good enough.¡±

 17. Life after Death

    It has been weeks since I started my rigorous training. Well. As much as Percy allows it. I work with the Palace instructors, but one of the three always supervise it. Depending who has time. Today, apparently, is Zaltem''s turn. Not that I don''t appreciate their concern, but there doesn''t seem to be any reason for him to stand guard over me. All I ever do are simple stretches to strengthen the muscles around the Vines as much as possible... In other words, I am bored out of my mind! I put my arm down and glare at Zaltem.


    ¡°Can''t I do something more? This is getting me nowhere.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± He asks.


    ¡°I don''t know? Walking?¡± I move my neck to the sides. ¡°All this is doing is giving me stiff shoulders.¡± I pout. The kid stands up.


    ¡°Alright.¡± He picks me up and carries me out of the room like a child.


    ¡°Just so you know, I''m not into men.¡± I tell him, feeling ridiculous.


    ¡°Don''t worry, neither am I.¡± He assures me. He puts me down next to one of those walking rails.


    ¡°Go on. Walk.¡± He tells me. I put my left hand on one rail and pull myself closer to grab the right one. Zaltem hasn''t let go yet. I stare at my feet for an agonizing moment. Ok. I can do this. I take one step forward with my left foot. So far so good. I move my right foot forward too. Ok. Nice and easy. I shift my weight to the left leg and quickly grab the rail with the left hand again. I can do this. I grip the rail again with my right hand. I move the left foot up front, shift the weight to it and take my right foot of the ground too. I try to shift the weight over to it and almost crash to my knees, with both hands on the rails still too... Zaltem catches me by the collar.


    ¡°Congrats. You managed two steps.¡± He says. I feel the mockery in his voice. ¡°You''re not ready for walking yet. If it were your leg only or even both legs, this would be easier. You need arm strength to hold out. Your right arm, as it is, is simply too weak right now. It''s the same if you were trying to balance on one foot with only one arm out too.¡±


    ¡°Damn it. I hate you right now.¡± I look up at him as much as my current dangling position allows me.


    ¡°Hey, take it up with Percival.¡± He helps me straighten out.


    ¡°Ok then when will I have the strength to do this?¡± I ask.


    Zaltem shrugs his shoulders. ¡°No clue. You might not ever be able to. Or you might just do it next week. It''s all up to you.¡±


    ¡°There you are!¡± I hear a sweet seduction... I glance over the Ravo and see my girl walking up to us with our boy next to her.


    ¡°Hey, sweetness.¡± I wave.


    ¡°Is he ready for this?¡± She stares at us with a face full of concern.


    ¡°Not you too...¡± I pout again...


    ¡°Not yet, but he is eager.¡± Zaltem rats on me.


    ¡°Traitor.¡± I murmur. ¡°Hey kiddo, what''s up?¡± I quickly change the subject. Ether comes in closer, but changes his mind at the last second. I let out a disappointed sigh.


    ¡°Can we go back to my cell now, please?¡± I ask shutting my eyes.


    ¡°Sure. Let me.¡± Laira hands the bag to Zaltem and comes over from my left to support me. Why does walking back feel like forever? Oh right! Cause he carried me! I hate myself so much right now... Just when I discovered I can be a Shaman Mage mix, I get smashed to bits... Pathetic...


    ¡°Something bothering you?¡± Laira whispers to me.


    ¡°What makes you think that?¡±


    ¡°Your face.¡± I see her staring at me. I crack my best sad smile and lie.


    ¡°I''m lonely here by myself. I miss you. It''s no fun sleeping alone.¡± I haven''t been sleeping for days now, ever since Percy took me off the painkillers.


    ¡°I miss you too.¡± She answers with a sad smile of her own. We finally enter my room and Laira carefully sets me down on the bed. Ether climbs on next to me and hugs me. Only from my left...


    ¡°Zaltem? Would you mind helping me with these?¡± Laira asks the Ravo taking the bag.


    ¡°Zaltem? Would you mind helping me with these?¡± I ask the boy, taking the bag and pointing to the bathroom with my eyes only. He hesitates a little, but catches on.


    ¡°Ah yeah, sure.¡± He follows me in. I take some fruit out and wash them.


    ¡°Grab that plate and knife for me, please.¡±


    He quickly brings them in. ¡°Here you go.¡±


    ¡°Tell me, what''s wrong? Is the rehab not working?¡± I go straight to the point.


    ¡°Well, one, it''s too soon to tell. Two. He is getting impatient and I can understand why. Three. I think he''s lacking motivation.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything we can do to help him?¡±


    He shrugs his shoulders. ¡°I wouldn''t know. It''s best not to over nag him. He needs to want to do this by himself. Injuries like that, even surviving them, discourage a person often, as dying might seem a better option than...¡± He doesn''t finish the sentence.


    ¡°Than having to live the rest of your life depending on other''s kindness?¡± I glare at the Ravo. His face tells me he''s feeling uncomfortable. I take the plate with the fruit pieces that Zaltem arranged and step outside. I bring it over and set it down on the night stand, a bit further from the bed. Ether climbs down, takes two pieces and brings them over to Marcus. He offers one to him, while holding the other to his own mouth. Marcus reaches for it with his right, but then quickly switches out for the left. Ether smiles at him and eats his piece too.


    ¡°Thank you, Ether. That tastes delicious.¡± The stupid Mage says. Motivation huh?


    ¡°Ether, baby, would you like to help dad?¡± The boy quickly turns around.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    I smile. ¡°Marcus, why don''t you show Ether the exercises you do? Maybe you can do them together? It would help Ether get stronger too.¡± Marcus lifts his half-dead eyes to me. I see the glare. What for? It says. Come on, you stupid Mage, do it. He hesitates.


    ¡°If Ether can follow the routine without fail I can show him something cool after!¡± Zaltem jumps in. Our boy looks at Zaltem then back at Marcus with a begging look.


    ¡°Alright already. Watch me.¡± My Mage begins showing our son the stretches. Ether tries his best to follow, throwing all of his focus into the task.


    ¡°Ah wait, here.¡± Zaltem kneels down and adjusts Ether''s posture. ¡°Hold it tight now. Right here. No, a bit more. Yes. That''s the way.¡± Marcus holds the position while the other two catch up. I sit down and watch them. They finish the arms routine and move on to the legs. Zaltem pulls up a chair for Ether. His bright smile warms my face. Marcus seems to be catching the bug too.


    ¡°Very good, Ether!¡± Zaltem praises our boy. ¡°You too, sir.¡± He says nonchalantly.


    ¡°Oh, gee thanks.¡± Marcus rolls his eyes. It makes me giggle.


    ¡°Ok, now as promised.¡± Zaltem takes off his Vine pouch and puts it on the floor.


    ¡°Watch closely.¡± He winks at Ether. I lean over too. The Vines shoot out and form a rose.


    ¡°Oh. That''s cute.¡± I say.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Zaltem nods and continues making shapes with the Vines. A ship. A person. A dog. A cat. A bird... Somehow that feels nostalgic... The smile on Ether''s face brightens up with each new figure.


    ¡°I wanna try it too!¡± Ether looks at me and then at Marcus. Oh shoot.


    ¡°Um, sorry, but you need to be born a Noxian and a Druid too, to be able to use Vines...¡± Zaltem looks at me with a sorry face. Our son immediately loses his happy grin. I grab a pouch and put the jug of water closer to Marcus.


    ¡°Go on. Do the same.¡± I tell him.


    ¡°Now?¡± He stares at me tired and confused.


    ¡°Yes. Now.¡± I urge him. He sighs, takes a handful of dust and throws it in the jug. He starts mumbling his chants. His face gives him away. It''s hard to cast for him. Nonetheless, Marcus doesn''t lose focus and a blob of water emerges from the jug. A moment more and it rearranges itself into a blurred out rose. It holds for a moment longer and collapses with a splash.


    ¡°That''s as much as I can right now.¡± I knew it. He''s bothered by his weakened state.


    ¡°That was great. Thank you.¡± I smile at him.


    ¡°Can I do that then?¡± Ether asks Marcus now.


    ¡°Sure. Shamanic casting is similar to Cleanser chants and spells. If you know the spell, you can make the Water move. Fire and Air too.¡± He flashes a quick grin.


    ¡°We just need to wait for your magic to kick in.¡± I add. Ether looks at me. ¡°Some people have magic, some don''t.¡± I tell him.


    ¡°Magic takes about five years to kick in.¡± Zaltem takes over. ¡°You''ll know if you have it in you before you turn ten.¡±


    ¡°It varies from person to person, that''s why it takes so long.¡± I add again.


    ¡°Do you know how old are you?¡± Zaltem asks our boy carefully.


    He shakes his head. ¡°Four? Ish?¡± We had a feeling that might be the case.


    ¡°Please, be patient.¡± I pat our son on the head.


    ¡°You can learn about the different types of magic while you wait.¡± Zaltem tries to cheer the boy up too. Ether nods.


    ¡°You know what else helps?¡± I crouch down and Zaltem moves away, to make me space next to Ether''s chair. He shakes his head to me.


    ¡°Exercise.¡± I tell him.


    ¡°How?¡± He asks in his tiny voice now. So much different from the enthusiastic cheer a few minutes ago.


    ¡°The stronger the body, the stronger the magic.¡± I tell him. His eyes change, picking up life again.


    ¡°Then, if I do the same thing dad does, I will be able to do magic too?¡±


    ¡°Yes, dear. if your magic awakens. Don¡¯t worry if it doesn¡¯t. There are plenty of people who don¡¯t use magic.¡±


    ¡°Like who?¡± For the first time ever, I see a suspicious look in him. I fight the grin, trying to emerge on my lips.


    ¡°Guess it''s time to introduce you to Rixa.¡± I ruff his hair a bit. ¡°He can teach you lots about it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, now there¡¯s a scary thought.¡± Marcus mumbles. I throw a quick glare at him.


    ¡°I have an idea.¡± Zaltem raises his hand.


    ¡°Go on.¡± I nod.


    ¡°Why don''t I take Ether for a stroll along the training grounds? He can see all kinds of magic and combatants. Hunter''s and Warriors too.¡±


    ¡°That''s a great idea! Would you like that?¡± I ask our son. He nods.


    ¡°I have time now, since Percival took over for the day. We can go now?¡± Zaltem adds.


    ¡°Great! Stay close to Zaltem, ok?¡± Ether nods again. ¡°Good boy. Give a hug to dad.¡± He climbs off the chair and into Marcus''s arms.


    ¡°Be good now.¡± He tells our boy. Ether nods again and climbs down. Zaltem holds his hand out for Ether. He takes it and looks at us one last time.


    ¡°I''ll wait here till you guys come back, so take your time.¡± I reassure the little one and they leave.


    ¡°Wanna tell me what''s on your mind?¡± I ask Marcus after a few terrible minutes of silence.


    ¡°It''s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Liar.¡± I keep my eyes on him.


    ¡°I''m tired.¡± He tries to lay down. I go over to help him...


    ¡°Don''t. Just. Please.¡± He stops me. I back off and watch him struggle. Carefully, slowly, he manages to lay back down.


    ¡°Can I come over now?¡± I ask quietly. He nods slightly. I squeeze in next to him on my side. He has his eyes closed. I gently press my face to his, closing my eyes too. He doesn''t fight it. I carefully place my hand on his chest. No rejection. A brush after brush, I begin to fondle his neck, the jaw...


    ¡°It tickles...¡± I let out a breath, as my fingers move through the silly spikes for a beard... I move my hand back down to his chest and slide under the shirt.


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    ¡°You''re not the only one who''s been lonely...¡± I keep my voice low.


    ¡°I can''t...¡±


    ¡°You don''t have to do anything...¡± I kiss his neck. I feel him hold his breath... ¡°Is it wrong for me to miss you?¡± No answer. I kiss his skin again...and again...


    ¡°Marcus...¡± I exhale his name into his ear. He turns to me with eyes full of pain, and agony written all over his face. My heart skips a beat. I put my hand on his neck and pull him to me. We lock lips. Slow and gentle. Long and soft. I break away and gaze at him with all of the love that I have for him.


    ¡°If I marry you today, will that be enough to prove it to you that I will love you no matter what?¡± I ask, nuzzling him.


    ¡°Laira...¡±


    ¡°It''s a yes or no question.¡± I don''t let him take in another breath and steal his lips again.


    ¡°Yes...¡± He answers... I smile, tears of joy roll down my face and I roll on top of Marcus, kissing him again... I take the covers off him and the robe off myself. My hands search for his pants. They slide in and down his inner thighs. I take them out again and pull the fabric off. I undo his shirt, kissing my way down his chest. I get to his shaft and brush my lips across it. Smearing the saliva all over it. I tease the tip with my tongue. I put my mouth over it and fondle it. Gorging on the shaft, sucking it in deeper into the wet mouth. I squeeze and play with his balls, covering them with the liquid too. I moan. I look up and see the tormented with pleasure expression on his face. I break off the shaft and suck in the balls inside my mouth again. I lick and tease them.


    ¡°Laira...¡± A moan. I smile and move over Marcus with the legs spread. I straddle his face. A harsh grip and a rough pull, lands me straight on him. I feel the eager tongue thrust inside of me. His teeth gently chewing on me. Mmm... I lean back and search for his hard shaft, wet still. I stroke it. Moan after moan escapes my lips. I lose the grip on the dick. I pry myself off Marcus, turn around and place myself back down. I hunch over his cock and take it inside my mouth again. I hear the slurping sounds from behind me. I feel the heat rising inside me. I suck the shaft. Faster. Harder. Rougher. I hear the painful moans. We''re in sync. One more pull... One more lick and... My body trembles in ecstasy. Marcus explodes inside my mouth. I finish him off, to the last drop and move back up.


    ¡°Feel better now?¡± I tease him.


    ¡°Maybe a little.¡± He finally smiles at me again. For real this time¡­


    ¡°Glad to be of service.¡± We kiss again. ¡°You can''t shut down on me.¡±


    ¡°But just look what happened a moment ago!¡±


    ¡°Ugh! Smartass! I mean it!¡± I tell him. ¡°Or I''ll bite it next time.¡± I threaten.


    ¡°Please don''t.¡±


    ¡°I''ll think about it.¡± I take the robe off the floor and make myself decent again. As well as pull his pants and the covers back in place.


    ¡°Aw.¡± Marcus pouts.


    ¡°Oh? Have you made a miraculous recovery?¡±


    ¡°I might! After a few more rounds!¡±


    ¡°Let''s take it easy for now. We''ll do more, once you improve.¡±


    ¡°Deal! Come here.¡± He shows to a place next to him. I roll over and lay down on his good side.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I''d rather not damage you anymore, for now.¡± I say and kiss him.


    ¡°Fine...¡± He pouts for a short breath and we kiss again. I put my hand on his chest again and we lace our fingers together.


    ¡°You''re sly and clever, aren''t you.¡± Marcus whispers to me.


    ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about.¡±


    ¡°Don''t play dumb with me.¡± He bites my ear. Ouch. "You played me right into your hands...¡±


    ¡°You got what your gloomy mood deserved!¡± I answer.


    ¡°See, now I run the risk of having less of THAT if I keep my spirits up.¡±


    ¡°Or, OR, this is only the beginning.¡± I grin at him.


    ¡°It better be!¡± He glares at me playfully and we laugh quietly.


    ¡°Percival?¡± I hear a voice.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°It''s Laira, are you busy?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Miss. What is it?¡±


    ¡°If you have time, would you please come around Marcus''s room?¡±


    ¡°Is he alright?¡± I stand up from my chair.


    ¡°Yes yes. I''m fine. Nothing to worry about. We want you for something else.¡± His voice rings inside my mind too.


    ¡°Oh. Sure. I''m on my way.¡± I leave the office and lock it. I need to get a better lock installed. I put the key in my pocket. I wonder what happened? I take out my watch. It''s way past visiting hours... Well, at least for regular patients... I rub my eyes. What did I have for lunch today? Right... What lunch? I never truly feel fatigue till I get pulled away from work. I stop by the room and knock.


    ¡°Come in, Percy.¡± I hear the Mage''s voice. I step in. The Miss, the Sir, little Ether and Zaltem are all gathered here.


    ¡°Oh? What''s this all about?¡± I ask, closing the door behind me.


    ¡°We''re getting married. Now.¡± The Miss announces.


    ¡°Oh, I see. WAIT. WHAT!¡± I stare at them.


    ¡°That''s what I said.¡± Zaltem gives me a look.


    ¡°Here?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Sir Marcus nods.


    ¡°Now?¡± I question them again.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The Miss answers.


    ¡°Ok then. What do you need me to do?¡±


    ¡°Just be here with us.¡± The Miss says.


    ¡°We''ll celebrate later, once you let me leave here.¡± The Sir adds.


    ¡°Sure. I''ll be more than happy too.¡± I smile at the happy couple. Ether comes over to me and we stand in a slight curve, right next to the bed.


    ¡°Zaltem, if you would.¡± The Miss takes out the black ribbon from her hair, untying the low bun, letting the hair engulf her shoulders in lilac waves.


    ¡°It''s an honor.¡± The Ravo takes the ribbon and kneels in front of them. He clears his throat and begins, wrapping the ribbon around their laced hands.


    ¡°Dearly beloved. We are gathered here tonight to witness two hearts become one. May the road ahead be full of feeling and emotion. Anger and affection. Silence and chatter. Passion and calm. Let them, be your guides, as you walk through life. Let each other, be your strength in times of need. Let the love you share, be your salvation from despair. May the stars shine upon you for the rest of eternity. You may now kiss each other.¡± Zaltem finishes, letting their hands go and the two of them kiss. I feel a tug on my heart. Two weddings in such a short time. I quickly get back to reality and clap my hands. Ether and Zaltem follow my lead. The newlyweds bow their heads to us.


    ¡°Allow me, to be the first to congratulate you.¡± The Ravo says and hugs them both. ¡°May the stars shine upon you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for doing this.¡± The Miss tells him.


    ¡°Make nothing of it.¡± Zaltem stands up and gives way to us. I nudge Ether to go first. He clears his throat too and recites the phrase.


    ¡°May the stars shine upon you!¡± He lunges in for his hug.


    ¡°Thank you, baby.¡± Miss Laira holds the child to them. I come in last. I kneel next to the bed too.


    ¡°May the stars shine upon you for the rest of eternity.¡± I embrace them both.


    ¡°Thank you, Percival.¡± Sir Marcus tells me. I pat him on the shoulder and let go.


    ¡°We better get some more bedding in here.¡± I say, standing up. ¡°Would be rude to send you home on your first wedding night.¡± I take the chance to make a bit of fun out of the newlyweds. Zaltem barely keeps it together.


    ¡°Don''t go too wild now or you''ll break him.¡± I add quickly and the Ravo breaks down. The Miss blushes. The Sir too, to my surprise.


    ¡°Well, not that we would do anything, but I would feel hella sad if everyone left right away.¡± The Mage admits.


    ¡°I have some vine stashed away in my room. I''ll go get it, if you guys can wait.¡± The Ravo suggests.


    ¡°Then I''ll bring in something for little Ether to sleep on. I''m sure you two can manage?¡± I take a quick look.


    ¡°If it''s not too much trouble.¡± The Miss smiles.


    ¡°Right then, be right back.¡± Zaltem and I leave the room and he dashes off. I step into the available room and take the covers and the pillows off it and haul it all back. I lay them out on the floor and we begin arranging the pile into a nest, big enough for the boy to sleep on. Ether seems to be enjoying himself, messing around.


    ¡°There. That should do it.¡± I announce. The boy climbs on and nods. ¡°Good.¡± I pat him on the head and sit back down on the chair.


    ¡°Well. What brought this on so suddenly? Don''t tell me you¡¯re dying, cause I''ll finish you off on the spot, after all the work we put into you.¡± I try my best mean glare.


    ¡°I''m the one to blame.¡± The Miss confesses. ¡°I wanted this.¡±


    I smile. ¡°You don''t have to feel guilty about it. I simply wasn''t expecting this to happen in the medical wing, of all places. But since this is the VIP section - I don''t see a problem with it.¡± I shrug my shoulders.


    ¡°It pays off to be a Royal Hound sometimes.¡± Sir Marcus grins silly.


    ¡°It sure does, sometimes.¡± I agree.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting.¡± Zaltem returns with a bottle. I get off the chair and get the glasses out too. The Ravo pops the cork and fills the four of us a drink.


    ¡°What a delicious scent.¡± The Miss takes a whiff of the vine.


    ¡°This is the good stuff, isn''t it?¡± The Sir asks. I take a look at the cork.


    ¡°You were saving it for something, weren''t you?¡± I look at the Druid, passing the cork to Miss Laira.


    ¡°My! This is the expensive one too. Are you sure it''s ok for us to have it?¡± She gives Zaltem a concerned expression.


    ¡°Yes. This counts as an extra special occasion. It''s only vine. I can always get another bottle.¡±


    ¡°We will get you a replacement.¡± The Miss assures the Ravo.


    ¡°Consider it a wedding gift.¡± He smiles at them and raises his glass.


    ¡°Oh damn. I never got one for the Sir and the Lady!¡± It dawns on me.


    ¡°Don''t worry. Neither did we.¡± Sir Marcus tells me.


    ¡°We can give them something next time we visit them.¡± Miss Laira suggests.


    ¡°When are you going next?¡± Zaltem asks.


    ¡°In about five years. All part of the RRD, of course.¡± The Miss gives a coy smile.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Zaltem nods in agreement. ¡°Well then, would you give them something from me too? Think a bottle like that would take up much space?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± The Mage agrees.


    ¡°Now then.¡± I raise my glass. The rest follow. ¡°Cheers!¡± We clang the wooden glasses.


    ¡°Cheers!¡± Everyone exclaims. Even Ether with his water. The more time I spend among them, the more I begin to notice the slight facial differences between the Noxian women and men. Though at first glance all of them seem completely the same. If it weren''t for the feminine curves, it¡¯d be totally impossible to tell them apart. I''m finally able to notice that the jaw lines for the girls are less defined, the features are more polished, whereas the men¡¯s'' are rougher. I guess we look all the same to them, just as much as they to us. The other races must we feel the same too.


    ¡°Hey, Percy, when can I get out of here?¡± Sir Marcus suddenly asks me. I take a sip of the vine first.


    ¡°When you can manage to walk a straight line.¡±


    He lets out a disappointed sigh. "That''s what he said..." Zaltem glances at me from behind his glass, hinting at something here, clearly.


    ¡°Tell ya what.¡± I address the Mage again. ¡°I''ll give you another two weeks. If you can walk at least three steps without collapsing, I''ll let you go.¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡± The Sir quickly brightens up. A soft laughter rolls over everyone.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°So then, next topic.¡± The Miss begins. ¡°Anything going on between you and Aodynna?¡± Wow. She actually went for it.


    The Ravo blushes, but doesn¡¯t say a word. ¡°What makes you ask that?¡± He asks, eventually, eyes darting around.


    ¡°The vine.¡± She winks at him. Makes sense. I smile. We wait.


    ¡°I..we.. no.¡± He admits sadly.


    ¡°Why not?¡± I ask him. ¡°You clearly have a thing for her.¡±


    ¡°Even if. I don''t want to impose my feelings onto her.¡± He confesses.


    ¡°At this rate, she''ll be gone before you''ll even have a chance to say anything.¡± Sir Marcus says in a slightly grim-ish tone... The Druid raises his eyes to the Mage and then at the Miss. His expression tells us that it finally clicked to him. Zaltem downs his vine and gets off his ass.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± He leaves the room.


    ¡°You didn''t have to scare him into it.¡± Miss Laira says softly.


    ¡°He''s better off this way.¡± Sir Marcus answers. I have nothing else to add and keep my gaze to the floor. My eyes catch the corner of a horn. I shift in my chair a little and notice Ether sleeping in his pillow nest.


    ¡°Perhaps I should get going too.¡± I nod to the boy on the floor.


    ¡°Thank you for doing this.¡± The Miss nods to me.


    ¡°Of course. Goodnight you two.¡± I tell the happy couple, leaving the room.


    ¡°Rest well.¡± Sir Marcus answers, as I close the door behind me.


    ¡°Alright. I can tell you''ve been taking your rehab seriously.¡± I tell Sir Marcus after his checkup. ¡°Your stance has improved too. Although, I do not recommend walking on your own, I feel confident in your determination to send you home.¡±


    ¡°YES! FINALLY!¡± The Mage cheers for a quick moment and immediately clears his throat. ¡°I mean, thanks, doc.¡±


    I roll my eyes at the man. ¡°Right. Well. You guys can go on ahead and I''ll join you at the cabin, once I finish packing his meds.¡± I yawn again.


    ¡°Great! You haven''t been around ever since we returned. Storm misses you.¡± The Miss tells me.


    ¡°Oh well, she has come to see me a few times now. She''s persistent. Just like her master.¡±


    ¡°Why haven''t you told us any of this?¡± Miss Laira gives me a disappointed look.


    ¡°It honestly slipped my mind.¡± I look away. ¡°Anyhow. Congrats, you''re officially discharged.¡± I pat the Sir on the shoulder.


    ¡°Yay!¡± Ether cheers. It''s thanks to him that Sir Marcus was able to stick to his routine so diligently. I''m sure the Miss had also something to do with it. Guess that''s one way to live again. If not for yourself than for others. I watch the three of them get ready.


    ¡°Ok then, we''re off.¡± The Miss helps Sir Marcus walk, while Ether valiantly carries the Mage''s bag. I lean in to offer help, but he just shakes his head. Ok then. I let the boy handle it.


    ¡°You''re coming. Right?¡± The Miss glares at me one last time, over her shoulder.


    I nod. ¡°Promise. Be there in a bit.¡±


    Percy nods at me. ¡°Promise. Be there in a bit.¡± Right. I help Marcus walk, with Ether following us.


    ¡°I''m so anxious.¡± Marcus says to me.


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°Going home with you. It feels like forever since I was back there.¡±


    ¡°Maybe because it has.¡± I tell him. ¡°Since before the trip.¡± His shoulders laugh for him.


    ¡°Right...¡± He steps outside and Meteor greets us.


    ¡°GENTLY NOW!¡± I quickly call out before the dragon can tackle us. He stops at a halt and paces in place.


    ¡°Guess I''m not the only one who''s anxious. Hi boy. Sorry for the trouble.¡± Marcus pets the beast. Meteor tries his best to purr and ends up lowkey growling.


    ¡°Happy now?¡± I ask the dragon. Walking toward the carrier.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Marcus asks me.


    ¡°I got one just in case. The woods are too thick to use a land carriage. It''s a bit ragged, but it was cheap and I figured we can fix it up ourselves. Of course, if you prefer, I can just wrap you up in Vines, like the last time?¡± I tease my husband.


    ¡°No thank you.¡± He smiles at me. I open the door and help Marcus climb inside. Next comes Ether with the bag. Once the guys are settled in, I go strap our restless dragon in and we take flight. Meteor flies slower than usual. He''s not used to baggage. But it doesn''t take us long to come back anyways.


    ¡°Brace yourselves.¡± I warn Marcus and Meteor lands, as carefully as he can manage. The carrier hits the ground with a small thud. I quickly jump off and go to check on the guys.


    ¡°Everyone ok?¡±


    ¡°Peachy.¡± Marcus smiles, with Ether next to him.


    ¡°I hope so. We practiced the landing, you know.¡± Ether leaves first and I hand him the bag again. He doesn''t wait for us and goes inside.


    ¡°Sorry to trouble you so much.¡±


    ¡°Keep apologizing like that and I''ll smack your lights out.¡± I warn my husband.


    ¡°Roger that.¡± We enter the cabin. ¡°What''s all this?¡±


    ¡°What does it look like?¡± I ask helping him sit down on the couch.


    ¡°Looks like banishment!¡± He pouts.


    ¡°Looks like banishment!¡± I pout.


    ¡°Idiot. We''ll be staying with you.¡± Laira tells me and walks back out to unhook my dragon from the cab. I take a look around the living room. One of the couches has been moved to the side and instead of the usual giant table, two smaller ones stand nicely, to accompany the new arrangement. A makeshift bed sits in the middle of the room now. Two poles stick out of the wall too. Right where one of the tree trunks is. Is that supposed to be meant for my training? Ether brings me some tea and sits next to me on the couch.


    ¡°You guys worked hard too, huh?¡± I hug him to me. He nods.


    ¡°Damn right.¡± Laira walks back inside. ¡°Wanna move to the kitchen? We''ll get dinner ready?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± I try to get up by myself. I try twice and freeze. ¡°A little help please.¡± I finally confess.


    ¡°Took ya long enough.¡± My wife leans in and picks me up. She guides me to the kitchen and places me on a chair. Ether stands on a stepping stool, to reach the countertop and I watch the two of them get to work. They seem to be perfectly in sync. Even barely speaking to each other, they know what to do and when. I feel a strange feeling wash over me. We really are a family now, huh? I gaze at their backs with loving eyes. A sudden chill runs through me. What is this? My vision darkens for a quick second. I put my hand over my face. Sweat. I stare at my wife and son through the gaps. My body trembles. What is this? I try to pull myself together, but all I get is my insides turning... I know this feeling. Fear. That''s what this is. This is all a dream, isn''t it? It can''t be that I get to sit here and enjoy life with my loved ones. I died, didn''t I? I grip the end of the table. Then why does this feel real? The rough feeling of the wood. The delicious scent in the air? The cold feeling at the pit of my stomach... A loud noise reaches us from the outside. Laira grabs a towel and dries her hands.


    ¡°I wonder what''s the commotion outside? Ether, baby, keep an eye on the pan, for me please. I''ll go see what that was all... Marcus? Are you ok?¡± Laira leans in from across the table.


    ¡°Fine. Just got emotional for a bit seeing the both of you like that.¡± I try to smile. Her eyes tell me she doesn''t buy that, or at least she knows that I''m holding back.


    ¡°Uh-huh. Ok, well don''t go anywhere now, I''ll be right back.¡± She mocks me a bit and walks out. I try one more time to pull myself together. I focus on Ether. He stands there, stirring something in the pan. He tries to reach for something, but can''t. He steps off the stool, picks it up, walks a few steps, places it back down, gets on it and takes the spice jar that he needed, and repeats the whole thing again. He gets on the stool again, takes the jar out of his pocket and stares at me for a bit. I flash him a quick smile and get one in return.


    ¡°You two got married and didn''t even bother to invite me?¡± That sounds like... Sure enough. Rixa steps into the view.


    ¡°Hey there, little man.¡± He ruffs up Ether''s hair and glares at me. ¡°I am shocked! Shocked I say! Does battling the horrors of this world mean nothing anymore?¡±


    ¡°Were you always this much of a drama queen?¡± I throw him a look of my own.


    He shrugs his shoulders. ¡°Gotta entertain myself somehow.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± I chuckle. ¡°Well. How ya been?¡±


    ¡°Better than you.¡± He doesn''t hold back.


    ¡°Glad to hear it.¡± I laugh nervously. The chill hasn''t completely left my body yet.


    ¡°What are the other two up to?¡± I ask staring at the doorway.


    ¡°It''s a surprise.¡± Rixa winks at me. I turn back to him and see Ether take the pan of the fire and place it on the giant stone next to the stove.


    ¡°Can you get him out here for us please?¡± Laira''s voice shouts to us.


    ¡°Right. Come here.¡± The CC stands up and walks over to me. He helps me up and leads me into the living room. Laira and Percy meet us with strange smiles.


    ¡°Now, before you throw a fit, let me just say that this is just to help you out. While you fully recover, ok?¡± Laira tells me.


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± I stare at her for a moment and then shift my gaze between her and our Cleanser and then down. What the?


    ¡°What is that?¡± I stare at some sort of a contraption.


    ¡°Take a seat, please.¡± Percival gestures to a seat? I think? Rixa doesn''t wait for me to make a move first. He lifts me off the ground and brings me closer. Laira and Percy take over from him and place me down in the chair. I stare at the round things on the sides.


    ¡°Are these wheels?¡±


    ¡°Yup. It''s something to help you move around. Percival came up with it.¡± My wife crouches down.


    ¡°I, don''t know whether to be honored or insulted.¡±


    The Warr laughs. ¡°How about ya say thank you and shut up. It wasn''t easy bringing this thing over through the thick woods without breaking it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± The words leave my mouth without me registering them. ¡°Why are there two sets of them?¡± I look up at our Cleanser.


    ¡°You can use the inner ones to push yourself, without getting your hands dirty.¡± He explains. I feel a laughter escape me.


    ¡°Leave it up to you to come up with something like this.¡±


    ¡°Think nothing of it. Give it a try.¡± He moves aside. ¡°It might take a bit to get used to it.¡±


    ¡°Here, we can go outside.¡± Laira points to the open door. ¡°I made some adjustments.¡± She steps outside. I try to turn around, but hit the table instead.


    ¡°Let me.¡± Percy takes the handles and helps me turn. He pushes me down the newly installed ramp and lets go. I put my hands back on the rings and push. Huh. I go a bit forward, then backwards in a straight line.


    ¡°Ok, I can see how this could be useful.¡± I admit and push the rings a bit harder and faster. I make a giant turn.


    ¡°This is kinda fun even.¡± I say looking up. ¡°Ether! Come here!¡± I wave to our son. Laira catches on too and follows him. She helps our boy get up in my lap. He holds to the sides of the chair and we roll. I feel like a kid myself this way. A roar from above thunders down on us. Storm and Sky are back. Meteor comes out to greet them too. Storm tackles Percy. The kid quickly ends up flat on the ground, making everyone laugh. Sky comes over to us. Ether reaches for the dragon without any hesitation. Sky leans in and closes his eyes. My boy gladly gives the scaled nose a hug. The dragon opens his eyes again. I see. The look has changed. I pat him on the nose too, without a word. Storm finally manages to let our Cleanser go. The Warr helps the kid back to his feet. I wave to them. Percy''s face turns from a smile to a grimace full of sullen confusion. Laira notices it too.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°Tell me. When we did the ritual? Was the blood seal on Sky''s chest still there?¡± He walks over to Sky, but the dragon picks up on his dark vibe and backs away. The Cleanser stops. I look back at Laira. She now has the same look on her as Percival. I begin to worry and roll up to her.


    ¡°Honey?¡±


    She closes her eyes and covers her face. ¡°How did I not notice sooner? Yes. The letter''s AS were there...¡± She takes her hands off her face. Her eyes are dead. AS?


    ¡°You mean?¡±


    ¡°Amana Starlight.¡± Percival answers. Oh shit... ¡°The whole proof we ever needed was right in front of us.¡± He stares at the dragon.


    ¡°So, she didn''t die? Not the first time, nor the second?¡± It finally clicks to me too.


    ¡°It''s possible?¡± Percy calms a bit and returns to us.


    ¡°Care to clue me in?¡± Rixa holds his hand up.


    ¡°The Castle. It is saturated with Magic so strong that it is able to preserve a person''s consciousness.¡± Our Cleanser explains.


    ¡°Right, yeah, I remember that.¡± The CC nods.


    ¡°Well. The fact that Starlight''s blood seal did not vanish from Sky''s chest, means she didn''t die. Or rather that she was in suspended animation. Something like a magic limbo.¡± Laira joins the explanation.


    ¡°Emerald as well...¡± Percy mumbles. ¡°The Lady did say she saw Lady Emerald''s memories?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Emerald was able to use the Lector stone she had inside of her body, to communicate with Breeze, since there ever were two stones of a kind. Emerald was able to put images inside Breeze''s head. Though, to be honest I never really understood how?¡± Laira quiets down, slightly discouraged.


    ¡°Perhaps of the Stone? They are fused with magic when made, however, they do not require magic to be used. All they need is direct contact with a living body. That''s how people without mana are able to use them as well. What if Lady Emerald used the Celestian power she had in her to achieve that? By pouring more magic into the Stone, she was able to transmit not thoughts alone, but turn those thoughts into images, like when someone tells you to image a red circle and then you see a red circle inside your mind?¡± Percival picks up his explanation fever. Ether looks at me confused. That''s right. We haven''t given him any Stones yet. I need to talk to Laira about that later. I pat his head.


    ¡°Don''t worry about it. This is grown up talk.¡± I smile at our boy.


    ¡°I can see how that could be a possibility?¡± Laira finally breaks the short silence. ¡°Wait. Does that mean...?¡± She looks up at our Cleanser.


    ¡°That we can save them?¡± He answers with his eyes to the ground still.


    ¡°Save who?¡± Rixa finally cracks too.


    ¡°Emerald. Perhaps even Starlight. Or everyone!¡± Somehow Laira''s sudden burst of optimism sends chills down my spine.


    ¡°Or not.¡± Percival graces us with a sharp answer and a cold look to boot. ¡°We don''t know if the bodies are preserved any longer than one cycle. So far, we can prove for a fact that a body or a consciousness is maintained within a 50-year time frame, roughly. We have no way of knowing if they do not dissipate after more time has passed. Which is probably the case. Rather, I am inclined to think so.¡±


    ¡°We won''t know unless we try!¡± Laira pushes the kid.


    ¡°Even if we could tackle the Rebirth now, which we obviously can''t, there is no telling what Hell might break loose!¡± Wow. Our Cleanser has grown a backbone or two. His tone is rather, superior sounding. I continue to observe the conversation. Percival takes a moment to pull himself back together.


    He carries on. ¡°There is no way to know if any of the parts of the previous fighters survived this long, but for the sake of the argument, let¡¯s say everyone who ever fought the Rebirth is alive. Now. Since we can''t know if they would regain their physical forms when restored back to life, we would need to operate on the assumption that anyone who has been dead for more than 50-years would be nothing more than a consciousness at best. Which brings us to our next problem.¡± The kid takes a quick breather.


    ¡°Say that there even is a spell capable of separating magic from magic. Or rather consciousness from magic. That consciousness would be equal to a soul. That soul would need a living vessel to possess to be able to "live" again.¡± His frustration dies down along with his voice.


    ¡°We would need living sacrifices...¡± Laira looks up into the sky as she says it. I have to admit, this is rather disappointing.


    ¡°At best, there''s a chance we might be able to save the fighters from this Rebirth...¡± Percival adds quietly. ¡°But.¡±


    ¡°But there is no magic that can do that?¡± I join in. ¡°And even if there were, we''d need to sacrifice others for that?¡± Our Cleanser nods to me. A veil of silence falls over us.


    ¡°Sooo what you¡¯re telling me here is that the crazy theory of yours;¡± Rixa points to Percy; ¡°is actually true?¡±


    The Cleanser nods again.


    ¡°You gotta be kidding me...¡± The Warr exhales heavy.


    ¡°What''s all the commotion about?¡± A voice reaches us from the trees. Zaltem''s Celodian comes into view.


    ¡°Hey there!¡± The CC waves quickly.


    ¡°Do we need to leave?¡± Aodynna''s horse comes up from behind the Tiger-horse.


    ¡°No. Everything is fine.¡± Laira''s the first to snap back to reality. ¡°Please, come in. Thanks for joining us.¡± She approaches the kids.


    ¡°Thank you for having us!¡± Levi shows herself too.


    ¡°Looks like everyone is here now.¡± Rixa shakes off the sudden gloom too.


    ¡°Nice wheels.¡± Zaltem winks at me.


    ¡°You noticed?¡± I wink back. Percy helps Ether get off my lap and helps me with the ramp again. I get parked at the far end of the table so that my ride and I don''t get in the way. Rixa brings over a chair closer to my left for Ether and Laira sits down on the other high chair to my right. Everyone settles in. Bit by bit, the two tables get full with food and drinks. Dessert too, apparently.


    ¡°Now then. Let us celebrate getting this major Idiot discharged;¡± Rixa mocks me, everyone agrees, but nobody says it out loud. Oh ha ha... ¡°And wish him a speedy recovery!¡±


    ¡°Your toasts suck.¡± I mumble into my glass. Now everyone laughs, but the Warr doesn''t seem to be too distraught about it.


    ¡°Ok then, how about drinking to your marriage instead?¡± Percy quickly tries to smooth over the last toast.


    ¡°Cheers to that too!¡± Zaltem raises his glass. The rest of us follow and the wood clangs with a bunch of soft thuds.


    I rummage through my papers. Books and scrolls everywhere. As much as I hate to admit it, but Sir Marcus almost dying bought me time to prepare for departure. I made it a point to prioritize his rehab. Having a Reflector with Shamanic abilities makes this a big enough issue to postpone our trip to the Site over. At least for a year. Sure, we have lodging to prepare and livestock and everything, but still. There are a few other things that I need to wrap my head around.


    ¡°Where is it!¡± I look for the damn feather. ¡°Finally!¡± I stick it in my mouth. Now I gotta look for the damn list again.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± I growl. I restack the papers one and a half times again.


    ¡°There. Now then.¡± I look over the check list.


    Cleansers for the Curse.


    Enchanted Water-Antidote for the Poison.


    Newly (hopefully) developed drugs for the Disease.


    Trees and pipes for the poison. Plus, a defensive shield as back up?


    Radius - unknown.


    Depth - unknow.


    Cleanser count - unknown.


    Ravo count - unknown.


    Water Shamans - unknown.


    Combatants for the Caster protection - unknown.


    I stare at the piece of paper...


    ¡°We sure have our work cut out for us...¡± I lean back in the chair. ¡°Is there anything I can do now?¡± I glance over at the list again.


    ¡°Most of it will need to be done at the Site...¡± I stare at the note on the corner of the list... It has been bothering me since that day... Look into possessions... I would need to access the Archives for that again... That would take forever... I really don''t want to go anywhere before we get Sir Marcus back on his feet... I redirect myself again.


    ¡°Why did I say that we need a cure against a flesh-eating disease?¡± I ask myself out loud. Because of how the curse brings them back? The Undead aren''t just rotten bodies that come back to life... But some are... The skeletons! The ones that the Lady and the Sir fought at their first Rebirth! I look for the notes from three Rebirths back.


    ¡°Right there.¡± Before the skeletons, a bunch of Necromancers were gathered. They were supposed to be the Commando unit of sorts to deliver the final blow... The records stated that some even came over from the Rebellion''s side... Those skeletons were the same Mancers. They are the only ones that have magic, literally, coursing through their bones. If we base this on the grounds of muscle memory, then... It is possible that for the Mancer skeletons to perform the spells only the bones are needed... Wait. The disease is not airborne. It relies on physical contact to be transmitted. Mostly from the cuts or other damage sustained from the fighting. An Undead does not require an internal system to function, the disease eats the body from the inside, leaving a shell, full of the malice...


    ¡°That''s why when we cut them down only ooze seeped out of the bodies.¡± I chuckle silently at my own brain.


    ¡°Guess I realized it before I even realized it... That''s why I said it...¡± Ok. Well. It makes sense. Of course, I''ll have to run some tests to make sure, but the point remains. If we can manage to find a way to stop the spreading, then it might buy us enough time till we can cure it. Chances are, if we succeed in cleansing the Rebirth then the Disease might cure itself too, but that''s highly unlikely... Anyways. I''ll have to trust Master Emalavi and her team for this. I have no business mingling with something I have little to no experience in.


    ¡°What else? The Poison?¡± Well... I guess the most effective combo would need to be determined at the Site. If what the Lady said is correct then we''ll have plenty of data to gather on that... The Disease too... Oh damn... There''s really not much I can do to prepare for this besides gather people...


    ¡°Trees...¡± Wait. We have less than 50 years for them to grow... If we use magic, we might not have to wait that long... Question is, what kind is best? Leaner ones grow faster, but they might not provide the best protection... Sturdier ones will take more mana and time... I wonder if Zaltem has given this any thought yet? Maybe we''ll need to try a few types?


    "Wait. Ravos." These are innate abilities we are talking about... The Ravos we have now are struggling to perform intricate tasks...


    ¡°Zaltem said so himself on the ship...¡± On the other hand... Considering that Noxians reach their full potential later in their lives, then perhaps... If they can manage to master Constant Meditation then... We''ll have to make it mandatory, doesn''t need to be perfect, but every bit helps.


    ¡°We don''t even know yet how many of them we have or how many we''ll even need." For the time being I''ll ask Zaltem to make a list of the current Ravos. I''ll know more once we figure out the radius and at what density we''ll even need to plant the damn trees in the first place... Then we''ll know for sure. Worst case we''ll need two Ravos for one tree...


    ¡°That might complicate things.¡± The distance between the caster and the tree too... We might not even be able to use Ravos for combat...


    ¡°This is giving me a headache...¡± I lean back in the chair. The pocket watch on the night stand by my bed catches my eye. 3 o''clock in the morning...


    ¡°Damn my Primerian nature...¡± I curse myself and stretch out. Might as well call it a night... I blow out the candles and strip. I lay across the bed with eyes wide open, staring into nothingness. My thoughts keep buzzing, turning my mind into a hive...


    ¡°Where the hell have I gotten myself into?¡± I ask nobody and try to practice Meditation. I close my eyes.


    ¡°Breathe.¡± I imagine a pond inside my head. A storm is raging above it. Dark clouds, thunder, lightning, restless water. Quite an accurate representation of what is going on inside my mind. I smile briefly. Breathe. Calm the storm. Scatter the clouds. Easier said than done... With my mind as busy as it is right now... Don''t force it... Let it rage for a bit... Think, what is making it act this way? Worry. Probably. What am I worried about? The RRD. Of course. What exactly? Can we succeed? Ok. What''s the issue here, exactly? If we can gather enough fighters? We have time... The clouds begin to lighten in color... The rumbling and crackling quiet down... I''m on the right track... I keep going... Do I have enough faith? Not yet... But we have time. We barely begun anything. We''ll know more as we go along. The more we know the better the chances become... The clouds slowly fade... Do I have to do all of it alone? No. I have help. Do I trust them? Some? The clouds darken again. Wrong answer. Truthful, but wrong. What grounds do I have not to trust the people working on this? What do we gain by letting the Rebirth fester? Nothing. There are no pros. Only cons. No reason to think any of them wants this to fail, right? The clouds lose their color again. I''m onto something. Ok. Moving on. Do they know what they are doing? Of course. They are professionals. Is there any reason to think they will act recklessly? Why would they? If it were possible to stop the Rebirth without joining forces then someone would have done it by now... Going solo is clearly not the answer here... Then. Taking all of that into account. Is there any reason to not believe in their skills and hopes for mutual success? Not really. So what am I worried about here again? The clouds disappear and the water stands still. I take a step into the water. Calmness flushes over me as I slowly lower myself into it... I let it consume all of me and drift off into the peaceful abyss...


    ¡°Pardon the intrusion!¡± I call out, opening the front door.


    ¡°In here!¡± A voice answers. I go into the kitchen. I find Sir Marcus sitting by his lonesome.


    ¡°Where''s the rest of them?¡± I ask putting the bags down.


    ¡°Downstairs. What''s all this?¡± The Mage checks the goods.


    ¡°Dessert. Something new and popular, apparently. I figured the little one might enjoy some?¡± I sit down too.


    ¡°Ah! Percival!¡± Miss Laira steps into the view.


    ¡°Hi, uncle!¡± Ether greets me from behind a basket with potatoes.


    ¡°Hello. Need any help?¡± I ask them.


    ¡°No no, we got this. You two go on.¡± The Miss waves us of.


    ¡°Right then. Can you stand?¡± I turn to the Mage. He gives me a stink eye.


    ¡°It''s been weeks now, yes I can manage to stand, thank you.¡± Sir Marcus gets off his chair. Not as quickly yet, but the improvement is obvious. I wait for him in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room. He walks firm, but slow.


    ¡°I see you have been exercising properly.¡± I try to praise his efforts.


    ¡°Did you think I was gonna use this as an excuse for an early retirement?¡± He stares at me. I giggle.


    ¡°I''m glad to see you''re willing to fight.¡±


    ¡°Damn right!¡± He tries to strike a pose and almost loses his balance. I jump in, but he cuts me off with a single hand sign. I back away again to the couch and let him sit down again. I start at the foot and work my way up the leg. I stop at the Vine knee. The Miss should have a better grip on this part, but I can tell the Vines haven''t dissipated yet. Good.


    ¡°So far so good. I can tell you¡¯re working hard. Just try not to overdo it, please.¡± I warn him.


    ¡°I hear ya.¡± Sir Marcus nods. ¡°Laira¡¯s Cleansing has been improving too.¡±


    ¡°Happy to hear.¡± I take his arm next. Same thing. Miss Laira walks in with the drinks.


    ¡°When was the last time you strengthened the Vines?¡±


    ¡°I don''t take any risks so I retouch them every five days or so. Depending on his activity level, they hold out for longer but...¡±


    ¡°But if you move too much then the Vines wear down faster. I figured.¡± I finish the thought for her.


    ¡°Unfortunately, yes. Because the spots they replace are so limber...¡± I feel the regret in her voice.


    ¡°We''ll come up with something eventually.¡± I try my best to comfort her.


    ¡°Please don''t. Least now she pays more attention to me." The Sir grins like an idiot. I barely manage to keep a straight face.


    ¡°Oh ha ha. Dinner will be ready soon.¡± She tells us going back into the kitchen.


    ¡°How are you managing with the stairs?¡± I ask the Mage again.


    ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m not.¡± He points to the makeshift bed behind me with the wheelchair parked next to it, just in case. ¡°I¡¯m camping down here still.¡±


    ¡°Well, considering how well you''ve been doing, I think we can afford to kick your rehab up a notch.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Sir Marcus has acquired a curious look now.


    ¡°I think you can get back to lifting weights again. Just. One condition. Start light. Do the same exercises you have been for the next two weeks. If all goes well, we''ll increase the weight a bit.¡± I explain.


    ¡°How light should I start?¡±


    ¡°Something like a book, more or less. Don''t give me that look. I don''t want to take any chances here. Start small and go smart, ok?¡± I glare at the Mage.


    ¡°Fine fine.¡± He nods. The Miss comes back again with some bowls. Ether helps with setting the table too. They make a few more trips to the kitchen before joining us in the living room.


    ¡°Now then, dig in!¡± The Miss says.


    ¡°Thank you for the food.¡± I nod. Ether puts his hands together and nods.


    ¡°He does that sometimes now.¡± The Sir explains.


    ¡°Usually when he doesn¡¯t wanna say anything.¡± The Miss adds. I smile.


    ¡°Understood.¡± We enjoy our dinner with small talk and chatter about the Palace rumors and other silly things. I watch the three of them. They look nothing short of a real family. Do not be caged by the idea of what you think you are and what you think you need to be... Was it? I wonder who decided that family had to be of the same race? Or limited to blood relations to begin with? Just because people have a link between them does it mean we can never cut? What if the people who are supposed to be the closets to us end up hurting us the most? Do we still accept it and live each day with it because "it''s family"? I''ve seen "family" do worse things to their own than strangers to each other... Can''t family be something we make of it ourselves? If someone else hurts me then it''s ok to cut them out... Yet if family is the source of my suffering, then I have to endure it?


    What nonsense. For whose sake am I giving my life up? Why must we sacrifice our happiness for someone who wants nothing more than to make us miserable, for the sake of their own satisfaction? I never understood that... Family to me is the picture in front of me. People going through each day with one thought in mind. How to make the other ones happy. Blood alone does not confine us. Only interests and different values. Those are the true enemies... These people share my interests and values about life. They welcomed me when I was lost and confused and gave my life new meaning. It''s thanks to them that I realized the value of my own thoughts and voice. I found a place where I want to belong. These people are my family now. These people are the reason I push myself forward. I like this feeling. I don''t want to lose it. Or them. Frankly, I don''t care what I have to do to bring them back each time. I''ll give my life up to save one of theirs in a heartbeat. The other four too... I found this new family of mine and I love them dearly... I will do whatever it takes to secure a future where bonds like ours can thrive...


    ¡°Something on your mind?¡± The Miss''s voice reaches me.


    ¡°Was only thinking what a nice family the three of you make.¡±


    ¡°Do we really?¡± Sir Marcus stares at me proudly. I nod. Ether blushes.


    ¡°Thank you...¡± Miss Laira whispers and dashes out the room with a few plates in hand. Ether follows her.


    ¡°Can I ask?¡± I look at the Mage.


    ¡°What''s up?¡± He nods to me and I freeze over with a smile. Ether comes back to take some more dishes away.


    ¡°Have you figured out what happened that day? Why he wondered off, I mean?¡±


    ¡°Oh. That. No. He''s a child still and I don''t expect him to justify all of his actions. It''s been months now, I don''t even care anymore. Besides. Considering how we ended up with him, I''d rather not push for answers.¡± The man answers me.


    ¡°Why the gloomy looks?¡± The Miss comes back with the sweets I brought.


    ¡°I was just asking if Ether ever tell you why he wondered off that time?¡± I whisper.


    She shakes her head. ¡°No. I haven''t really tried to talk to him about what happened. I can tell he feels responsible... He tries to help so much ever since. I''m afraid he might be trying to over compensate for it...¡±


    ¡°He''ll tell us when he''s good and ready or not. Doesn''t matter.¡± The Mage adds.


    ¡°To look for food.¡± Huh? We turn to where the voice came from. Ether stands in the doorway with the cups.


    ¡°Say what now?¡± I stare at the boy. He carefully moves over with the tray and sets it down, before taking a few steps back again.


    ¡°Mom said there wasn''t any food so I wanted to look for some... There are berries and veggies you can eat...¡± Wow... That''s the most I heard him speak in one breath this entire time. Wait.


    ¡°Ether, how do you know what''s edible in the woods? Did you live there?¡± I ask him carefully. He nods, clutching the edge of his shirt...


    ¡°I wanted to help...¡± He whispers in a tiny voice... I look over at the parents. The Miss hides her face with both of her hands, while the Sir has his left hand over his eyes. I turn back to the boy. His shirt has drops of tears soaked in it now. Oh Gods¡­ Just what kind of a life did he have? My body moves on its own. I take the child into my arms. I feel him wrap his little hands around my neck. We sit down and I cradle the boy.


    ¡°You STUPID CHILD!¡± The Miss breaks the weeping silence. ¡°You''re just a boy!¡± She breaks down again.


    ¡°What your mom means to say is;¡± Sir Marcus hugs the Miss to him; ¡°Thank you for your concern that was sweet of you. But we are the adults here. It''s our job to worry about things like that. You don¡¯t need to worry about anything, ever. Let us protect you, ok?¡± The boy nods.


    ¡°Good boy.¡± The Sir reaches out across the table and pats the little one on the head.


    The Miss takes in a gulp of air, giving way to her hysteria. ¡°It''s ALL MY FAULT!! IF I HADN''T BLABBED ABOUT IT!!¡± This feels familiar...


    ¡°Yes yes, I know... It''s alright now...¡± Sir Marcus tries to comfort the sobbing Druid.


    ¡°You''ll have to show me sometime which ones you know. Maybe they''re different from the ones I know.¡± I tell Ether, trying to change the subject. He looks at me a bit confused for a second, but catches on and nods.


    ¡°Good, there.¡± I set him down and he goes over to the weeping mother. I see the question mark in the Mage''s eyes.


    ¡°Growing up, I used to gather herbs, as part of my training and work. Anything edible I could pick up on the way helped us a lot too.¡± I explain. ¡°We even ate bugs sometimes. Nasty, but nutritious.¡±


    ¡°Bugs!? For real?¡± The man glares at me.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± I nod. ¡°Manageable when prepared with spices and garnish, but, yeah.¡± I shrug my shoulders.


    ¡°Oh, well, as someone who has been on the bug diet, I agree.¡± The Miss manages to calm a little. ¡°They can keep you alive, but not recommended...¡± She wipes her face clean.


    ¡°I don''t know who I feel more sorry for now, you two or Ether.¡± The Mage shakes his head and a nervous giggle rolls over us.


    We meet up with Zaltem by the same field, behind the training grounds. The same one we once set out off to the Rebirth. About three years ago, I sat on a beautiful black horse. Now. I am only able to stand up with the help of a cane... What humiliation... Better than the wheelchair, but still. My pride has taken a severe hit this past year... What good is honor to a Deadman, huh? Laira comes back to me and Ether.


    ¡°They''ll be leaving soon.¡± She tells us.


    ¡°Remind again why aren''t we going with them?¡± I ask once more.


    ¡°Because Rebirth is no place for a child. Even the volunteer families will be staying behind in the city, till Percival deems it safe for non-combatants to join.¡± She explains again. ¡°Besides¨C¡°


    ¡°Besides that, I am a liability.¡±


    ¡°You''re recovering nicely. Faster than we expected too. That''s why Percival feels confident to leave.¡± Zaltem''s voice approaches us.


    ¡°True. Besides, I was going to say that because of the RRD, someone needs to stay behind too.¡± My wife gives me a disapproving glare. Sorry.


    ¡°You didn''t have to come out all this way.¡± Percival jumps off his horse.


    ¡°Yeah, as if.¡± I answer.


    ¡°You look worried? Is something the matter?¡± Laira checks up on our Cleanser.


    ¡°This place... It feels different this time.¡± He says gazing over the troops.


    ¡°No kidding.¡± Zaltem agrees.


    ¡°Guess I''m not the only one feeling this way, huh?¡± I add. We take a moment of silence. Not sure whom it is for. Us from the past? The fallen ones? These guys now? All. Probably.


    ¡°Well. We''re off.¡± Percy breaks the silence and gets back on his horse. Zaltem whistles for his Celodian. Both of them look at us one last time.


    ¡°Good luck.¡± I wish them. Our Cleanser nods and so does the Ravo. We stand watch over the little Army that Percival gathered, seeing them off into the distance.


    ¡°Think he''ll be ok?¡± Laira whispers to me.


    ¡°No. But he did promise to stay in touch.¡±


    ¡°I hope he does.¡±


    ¡°I''ll miss them.¡± Ether says.


    ¡°So will we.¡±

 18. The Grave and the Truth

    ¡°Where are the kids?¡± Laira asks us, stepping out of the carriage.


    ¡°Inside. Waiting.¡± I answer. Glen and the others take care of their bags.


    ¡°We missed you.¡± Breeze tells the three with a smile.


    ¡°That''s rich, coming from you.¡± Laira throws Zarri "a look" that has me dying with laughter.


    ¡°How long you waited to use that one?¡± Breeze asks her with a look of her own.


    ¡°A lifetime.¡± Laira hugs her.


    ¡°Good to see you again.¡± I give Marcus my left. He stares at it and comes in for a hug.


    ¡°You have no idea just how much.¡± He says letting go. Laira switches with him and hugs me too. Marcus goes in for an embrace into Breeze''s arms and gets slapped in the face instead. Everyone freezes in their tracks.


    ¡°THAT''S for getting yourself almost killed!¡± Zarri finally lets it out in one breath. The Mage stares at nothing for a long moment. Slowly, his head begins to turn back to the front. Breeze breaks and hugs the fool.


    ¡°Is this what''s it like having her?¡± He asks me, snapping out of it and placing his hands on my wife¡¯s back.


    ¡°Pretty much.¡± I grin.


    ¡°Really? You¡¯re gonna give him grief about it?¡± Laira stares at Zarri too.


    ¡°Oh, bite me.¡± She answers in the same voice she always did back when we were teens. I smile again.


    ¡°With pleasure.¡± I answer instead. The look on the women¡¯s faces has me chuckling again.


    ¡°Feel better now?¡± Marcus asks Breeze.


    ¡°A little yes.¡± She nods. ¡°Now then. Sorry for the wait.¡± She looks down. Ether takes a step forward and bows.


    ¡°Thank you for taking care of me the last time! I apologize for causing you to worry last time I was here! I will be in your care again now for our visit! I promise to do my best to be on my best behavior!¡± He boy straightens out and quickly bows again. ¡°Thank you!¡± He stands tall again.


    ¡°My, what a great little speech.¡± Zarri kneels in front of the child. ¡°I am happy to see you are doing well, Ether. Please, feel free to be at home here.¡± The boy blushes and nods. Breeze extends her hand to him.


    ¡°I''m Zarri. Pleased to meet you.¡± Oh? The three of us steal quick glances at each other.


    ¡°Ether Tallen Evergreen. Pleased to meet you.¡± He shakes Zarri''s hand and lunges in for a hug. ¡°I missed you, aunty.¡± Well now.


    ¡°We missed you too.¡± Zarri answers and gets up. I give him my hand as well.


    ¡°The name''s Crile.¡±


    He takes my hand and shakes it firmly. ¡°Ether.¡± He says staring right at me. I smile.


    ¡°Welcome back, Ether.¡± I lean in for a hug too.


    ¡°Thank you, uncle.¡± He tells me, putting his hands around my neck. Sweet child. I pat him on the head and we finally make our way back to our room.


    ¡°It''s a shame Percival couldn''t make it.¡± Zarri says.


    ¡°I was wondering how long you''ll manage.¡± I tease her.


    ¡°We waited a week before leaving. We hoped he''d join us.¡± Marcus answers.


    ¡°He takes his role at the base very seriously.¡± Laira seconds.


    ¡°Knowing him, I''m not surprised.¡± I tell her. Breeze and I stand by our door and open them both at the same time. We let the three of them enter the room first.


    ¡°Aunty! Uncle!¡± A voice greets them. We close the doors behind us. Our boy runs over to the three of them with a widest and goofiest smile on his little face.


    ¡°I''m Xander! Nice to meet ya!¡± He says arms stretched just as wide.


    ¡°Hello, Xander. I''m Laira.¡± She kneels to get a closer look.


    ¡°He looks even more like Breeze now than before...¡± Marcus whispers to us over his shoulder.


    ¡°Just wait.¡± I wink at him. He throws me a confused look, but his attention gets quickly redirected.


    ¡°Is it my turn now?¡± He says looking down. The Mage clears his throat and gives our son a hand. ¡°I''m Marcus, nice to meet ya, Xander.¡± They shake hands. Ether has made himself invisible behind Marcus, just like the last time. Xander won''t go down so easily. He slides around the Mage.


    ¡°Hi, Ether!¡± Xan''s enthusiasm startles the boy.


    ¡°Hi...¡± He whispers.


    ¡°Xander, personal space? Remember that?¡± Breeze tries to diffuse the situation. Xander quickly takes two steps back, but his face gives his eagerness away.


    ¡°Why don''t you go help Rei?¡± I nod to the bed. Xan quickly runs back over to our bed.


    ¡°Did something happen to Reina?¡± Laira asks all worried.


    ¡°No, she''s fine.¡± I tell her.


    ¡°What in the world...¡± The Mage''s reaction captures the Ravo''s attention. She turns back and gasps, covering her mouth.


    ¡°That child looks at least two years old!¡± She finally snaps out of it.


    ¡°Surprise!¡± I tell her trying my best to hold back the laughter. We watch Rei and Xan help their little brother come over. The three of them stop a step away from Laira and Marcus.


    ¡°This is Tyro.¡± Reina announces.


    ¡°He''s squishy!¡± Xan adds, making me lose it completely.


    ¡°Wow.¡± Finally, Marcus says something.


    ¡°Tyro...¡± Laira whispers. She shakes her head and looks at Rei.


    ¡°Hi, Reina. I''m glad to finally meet you all.¡±


    ¡°Me too!¡± Xan answers first.


    ¡°Me three.¡± Rei adds.


    ¡°Me four.¡± The Mages joins in. ¡°I''m Marcus. This is Ether.¡± He reintroduces them to the kids.


    ¡°Think I can hold your brother for a moment?¡± Laira asks the kids.


    ¡°Sure!¡± Xan''s first again. Laira picks our Youngest up. She stands up and walks a few steps closer to the windows.


    ¡°Hi, Ether.¡± Rei waves to the boy. The little Cornutese blushes, but manages to wave back.


    ¡°I hope we can be friends.¡± She says.


    ¡°Mh.¡± Ether nods again.


    ¡°Soooo, should I do it or?¡± Marcus asks Laira.


    ¡°Before you say anything.¡± Breeze beats them to it. ¡°We weren''t sure about Tyro. I insisted that we keep it a secret.¡± She says sitting down on our usual couch. Xan takes me by the hand and drags me next to mom. Rei waits for Ether a moment longer, but decides not to pressure the guy.


    ¡°Weren''t sure how?¡± Laira asks.


    ¡°If he or I will make it.¡± Zarri answers bluntly.


    ¡°After the twins, we were told she wouldn''t be able to get pregnant again.¡± I tell them as Marcus sits down in front of us, with Ether still shy, again.


    ¡°And if I were to, they weren''t sure I''d survive. Let alone the baby.¡± Breeze says. ¡°We weren''t planning on it. It happened.¡±


    ¡°Clearly.¡± The Mage gives me a "manly" look. I grin. Zarri pretends not to notice.


    ¡°Laira, I realize this won''t change the fact, but I didn''t want to worry you. I wanted to make sure it went smoothly...¡±


    ¡°You were afraid. I get it. You didn''t want to give me false hope or needless worry. I get it.¡± Laira finishes the thought.


    ¡°The pregnancy wasn''t easy, nor did it get better after child birth.¡± I add. I watch Ether finally sit down next to Marcus. Rei has made herself comfortable next to her mother, with Xander squirming in my lap.


    ¡°The first year was extremely difficult for us. At that point we figured that meeting with you directly will be better. Regardless of what happens.¡± I explain.


    ¡°Everything''s been fine now.¡± Zarri adds quickly. Xan waves at Ether. The boy responds. Laira finally passes Tyro over to her husband and sits down.¡±


    ¡°There''s so much I wanna say to that.¡± She pauses. ¡°I''m glad the two of you made it. He seems to be in good health too, I''m happy.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I tell her.


    ¡°Is it just me or his eyes are different?¡± The Mage asks staring at Tyro.


    ¡°One of each!¡± Xan beats us to it. Marcus takes a hard look at us four.


    ¡°And the white hair?¡± He asks.


    ¡°Just like Granma''s.¡± Rei pitches in.


    ¡°Oh right.¡± The Mage nods.


    ¡°How are they, by the way?¡± Laira asks, patting Ether on the head now too.


    ¡°Enjoying themselves.¡± I answer.


    ¡°And spoiling the kids rotten.¡± Breeze adds.


    ¡°Good to hear.¡± Marcus hands Tyro back to us. Zarri takes him in her arms. Rei scootches over closer to Xan and me.


    ¡°How about you two take Tyro into your room to play? You can show Ether around too.¡± I tell our Eldest.


    ¡°Sure! Come on!¡± Xan jumps off me and takes Ether by the hand. Rei gets off the couch and waits for Tyro to be handed to her. Zarri sets our Youngest down. Xan takes Tyro''s hand too and the four off them slowly walk away from us. Ether looks back over his shoulder to his parents.


    ¡°It''s ok. Go have fun.¡± Laira smiles at her son. He nods, but with a face full of concern still.


    ¡°Well? How has he been doing?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Ether? He''s great. He''s smart and catches on quick. Percy teaches him all kinds of things when he comes over for a visit.¡± Marcus answers me.


    ¡°And how''s he doing?¡± Breeze asks with a motherly suspicion.


    ¡°He tries his best to come visit once every six-eight months or so.¡± Laira tells us.


    ¡°He has been against us going over there since day one.¡± Marcus adds.


    ¡°So he does try to keep up appearances.¡± Laira rolls her eyes.


    Breeze and I giggle. ¡°Least he tries. How''s the RRD?¡± She asks.


    ¡°Nothing major on our end.¡± The Mage answers. ¡°We''ve been mostly monitoring traffic between the City and the Base.¡±


    ¡°Percival has been in deep research. On top of that, it seems he has been declared the mayor of the Site.¡± Laira gives us a coy smile.


    ¡°The what now?¡± I stare at them.


    ¡°Oh, the kid is truly SOMETHING else.¡± The Mage adds to Laira''s smile. ¡°Get this. He''s growing produce in "greenhouses" made from earth.¡±


    ¡°I don''t follow?¡± Zarri admits.


    ¡°Me either.¡± I confess too.


    ¡°He has these shelters? Built like a bunch of cellars, inside the ground, that only has the glass roofs and they grow grains and Combat Vines and everything there.¡± Marcus tries to explain it.


    ¡°Or so we''ve heard. I''m curious to see it in person. Zaltem has been filing us in more than Percival, either way, apparently whatever it is that he''s doing - is working.¡± Laira seconds.


    ¡°Buried greenhouses? Really?¡± I question the information provided.


    ¡°Pretty much, yes.¡± The Mage nods.


    ¡°Wow.¡± Zarri exhales with a confused smile. ¡°He just doesn''t stop surprising us.¡±


    ¡°His reasoning was to reduce attention from the Rebellion''s side. He said that a settlement might attract attention, even as close to the Rebirth as it is. So, for safety purposes he made bunkers instead of building houses.¡± Laira explains some more.


    ¡°Like the ones in Cornutora?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Exactly like the ones.¡± The Mage snaps his fingers and points at me.


    ¡°He even thought about that too?¡± Breeze smiles proudly. I can''t help, but feel the same way.


    ¡°That''s our boy wonder alright.¡± I smile too. ¡°By the way, how long will you be here?¡± I quickly jump in before I forget again.


    ¡°We''ll try to stretch it out as much as possible, but not longer than a week now. We made sure to get all of the right paperwork directly from the King this time.¡± Marcus says.


    ¡°Oh, which reminds me¡±. Laira clearly ignores the Mages effort to reopen a sore topic. ¡°We come bearing gifts this time. King''s orders.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Zarri leans back to me.


    ¡°Show of good faith. Or something.¡± Marcus adds, shrugging his shoulders. "By the way, the kid''s not the only one making changes."


    "How so?" Zarri asks. The Mage grins proudly.


    "Laira has made it mandatory for everyone within the Army and the Navy to know healing. Not first aid only, but some of the advanced techniques too. On top of that. Everyone with mana needs to learn basic Cleanser spells. Without these you can''t apply." He explains.


    "Is it something like a starting course?" Zarri looks at Laira.


    "More like an exam." Marcus whispers. Laira doesn''t say anything still.


    "What brought this on?" I ask and realize the next instant. "Oh."


    "The reason''s sitting right in front us, huh?" Breeze smiles.


    "See! I''m helping too." The Mage strikes a pose.


    "Yes yes, relax now before you hurt yourself." Laira lowers his arm.


    "What took you to make it happen?" I ask out of morbid curiosity.


    "Surprisingly not much. I made the appeal directly to the King, instead of the Council. He did not argue. Especially since I said it would help with the RRD..." Laira hides behind her glass.


    "Ha! Guess his foolish ambitions can pay off." Zarri says giggling.


    "It was easier to make the appeal later with the Congress too." Marcus adds.


    "Yes, well. Tahon''s obsession has been working in our favor, so far." The Druid takes over. Wait.


    "Tahon?" Breeze reads my mind.


    Laira does not comment on that. She continues, instead. "Anyways, not everyone was happy about the new conditions at first, especially the recruits. Healing isn''t for everyone, but it worked out. Somehow. So I''m happy."


    "I think it''s a great idea."


    "Me too." I nod.


    "Me three, of course." The Mage adds. The door opens and food walks in.


    ¡°Kids! Food''s here!¡± Breeze calls out.


    ¡°Coming!¡± Rei answers from the other room. The table in front of us gets rearranged into a colorful and mouthwatering painting.


    ¡°Enjoy.¡± Glen tells us as everyone leaves.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Zarri nods.


    ¡°Appreciate the trouble.¡± I nod too. The kid smiles at us and closes the doors.


    ¡°That reminds me. Did you really had to send Glen and the others to come get us all the way to Ravenna?¡± Laira asks making a plate for Ether.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Breeze and I answer at the same time.


    ¡°We figured Araneum''s VIPs deserve the special escort.¡± I smile.


    ¡°I''m beginning to see the bright side of being a Royal Hound.¡± Marcus gazes dreamily into the distance. Kids finally make it back to us. I pick Tyro up and set him down in my lap. The rest of them go wash their hands first. We wait for them to come back. Ether takes his place between his parents. Rei and Xan make themselves comfortable at one of their favorite spots - on the step by our feet. The adults get their glasses.


    ¡°Well. Here''s to us.¡± Marcus says.


    ¡°To us!¡± We cheer and clank.


    We watch the kids play around in the yard the next day, while Laira tends to some business. Ether is showing off his water magic. He''s been conjuring all sorts of shapes out of the colored water. Sometimes he''ll make something explode or put on a smoke screen.


    ¡°He''s good.¡± I tell the Mage.


    ¡°Yeah. Very. He learns healings from Percival, Shamanic casting from me and he experiments a ton on his own too.¡± Marcus answers proudly. ¡°He puts on these little shows at the City''s orphanage too. He goes there every day after class.¡±


    ¡°That''s noble of him.¡± Zarri says. ¡°And school? Has he settled?¡±


    ¡°You mean after all the trouble he had?¡± Marcus looks to his boy. ¡°Well. We managed. Somehow. He''s not too invested in it though and I can''t blame him. With Laira, Percy, Zaltem, Aodynna and me around, he learns plenty. We simply have him enlisted there because it''s safer and we hoped he''d make friends...¡±


    ¡°When do they have the time?¡± Zarri asks.


    ¡°Oh, he got most of the basics before they left and they make sure to visit us when they make their reports. He practices diligently to nail each challenge so he gets a new one to work on. It''s fun to watch him struggle. In a good way that is.¡± The Mage watches over his boy with a warm fatherly expression.


    ¡°Wait, what does Aodynna teach him? I figured that Earth Shamans need an affinity for it just like the Mages?¡± I quickly throw a confused gaze at the man.


    ¡°Yes, you are right about that, but the girl has some mad combat skills. That poker face of hers is impossible to deal with, you never know what she''s thinking, plus, with her casting, it''s a fun combo.¡± Marcus grins at the thought of something. ¡°Oh, Rixa helps him with weapons too. He tries to learn as much as he can. He practices the spear now.¡±


    ¡°He stayed behind?¡± Zarri poses the question.


    ¡°Said he had nothing better to do anyways.¡± The Mage shrugs his shoulders.


    ¡°And Zaltem? He''s a Ravo like Laira.¡± I circle back again.


    ¡°Yes, he was quite disappointed when we explained to him that he could never be a Druid. But as a Ravo, Zaltem comes in handy for human anatomy and other healing things. As a matter of fact, Ether was inspired by Zaltem''s tricks with the Vines, hence the shapes.¡±


    ¡°Oh well, that''s nice.¡± Zarri says.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Marcus agrees. ¡°I mean, Percy''s tries to stay in touch, but...¡±


    ¡°I see. With our Cleanser being as busy as he is.¡± I agree.


    ¡°What about Laira?¡± Zarri asks.


    ¡°Oh, she''s been up to something too. Won''t tell me what it is, though, but I guess her focus is more on being a mom rather than teaching him spells and tricks. I''m just happy I can at least spar with a nine-year-old now.¡± Marcus laughs nervously and we can''t help, but join him.


    ¡°What about the twins?¡± He looks at us now.


    ¡°No magic yet. Because of the time frame for it, there''s no telling when and if it will appear.¡± Breeze answers. ¡°Oh, but they do have their classes picked out.¡± She adds with a chuckle.


    ¡°Really? I''m curious to know.¡± Marcus flashes a smile at us yet from time to time I notice a grim shadow creep in and out of his face. He only ever seems to truly smile when talking about Ether.


    ¡°Rei wants to be a Beast Druid.¡± Zarri tells him. ¡°That''s all because someone keeps telling our kids silly stories about their mom...¡± She glares at me. Marcus laughs. I pretend to be clueless and give her a quick kiss instead.


    ¡°What about Xander then?¡±


    ¡°Assassin. He thinks it would be fun to scare Reina with his powers, ya know, the way Glen pops up? He thinks it''s the coolest thing ever.¡± I take over.


    ¡°Ha! Such a boy he is.¡± Marcus keeps giggling.


    ¡°Oh for sure.¡± I agree.


    ¡°Wait, back up, what do you mean by if?¡± The Mage suddenly gets serious again.


    ¡°Well. Considering my condition... I''m not sure...¡± Zarri doesn''t wanna answer...


    ¡°You had your powers at conception, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes well... For one of them, at least...¡± We trace her gaze to our Youngest one, cheering the pretty water dog...


    ¡°The colored water and the smoke? He come up with those?¡± I try to lighten the mood.


    ¡°Yup. Since I always get my share of the Enchanted Herbs, I always give him some. Perks of being with the RRD.¡± The Mage winks at us. ¡°Speaking of, where is she?¡± He quickly stands up and walks back a few steps. It happened again...


    ¡°Something seems to be bothering him.¡± I whisper.


    ¡°Seems so.¡± Breeze lets out a worried sigh... Marcus comes back to us with a worried expression. Zarri and I steal quick glances at each other.


    ¡°Breeze? Can I talk to you for a moment?¡± He asks.


    ¡°Breeze? Can I talk to you for a moment?¡± Marcus asks me. The look on his face worries me.


    ¡°Sure.¡± I leave the kids with their father.


    ¡°Something on your mind?¡± I ask our Mage as we walk to the side a bit.


    ¡°Is this what it feels like? Life after death?¡±


    I smile. ¡°You mean the dream like feeling? The constant paranoia that any moment all of this;¡± I motion my arms in a wide circle to the sight in front of us; ¡°will shatter into darkness?¡± I gaze at him. He has eyes pointed to the ground.


    ¡°I was right to ask a pro like you about it.¡± He gives me a clumsy grin and I push him lightly on the shoulder. Even his laughter is forced...


    ¡°Has it been bothering you all this time?¡± I ask. A nod.


    ¡°I didn''t sleep for weeks. Every time I would close my eyes...¡±


    ¡°You''d snap awake as if from a nightmare.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Did you talk to Laira about it?¡± I look our Mage over. A shake.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Isn''t it obvious? I don''t want her to worry.¡±


    ¡°You honestly think she hasn''t caught on in five years?¡± I give him a disapproving look. Marcus finally looks at me.


    ¡°What? You didn¡¯t consider that this affects her too? Do you not know that those around you have the same paranoia? The same fear that any minute they will turn around and you''ll be nothing, but a memory? That the you here and now is nothing more than an illusion?¡±


    ¡°I...honestly didn''t...¡±


    ¡°Silly boy...¡± I hug Marcus to me. ¡°She''s putting on a brave face for you because she knows how afraid you are...¡± I let him go. ¡°After I woke up from the coma, I was so afraid to fall back asleep that it made my chest and lungs ache. You know what helped?¡± I ask our Mage again. He shakes his head.


    ¡°Crile. Falling asleep next to him and waking up with him still next to me the next morning. That makes every day seem more normal. Even in the middle of the night. I know that I''m not alone. Most importantly I know I am alive, because he''s next to me.¡± I smile at our Mage again. ¡°Why do you think Laira made camp with you when Percy discharged you?¡± His look finally changes.


    ¡°Dad!¡± Ether runs over to us and tackles Marcus.


    ¡°Hey there! What''s up?¡± The man snaps out of his sudden gloom.


    ¡°Where''s mom?¡±


    ¡°She''ll be out in a bit.¡± I tell the boy. ¡°Don''t think your mood doesn''t affect him either.¡± Marcus looks up at me and back at his son.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Don''t mention it. I am a pro at this after all.¡± I wink at him.


    ¡°Let''s go back to the others, shall we?¡± I ask Ether.


    ¡°Sure!¡± He lets go and runs off first. We come back and Crile wraps himself around my waist.


    ¡°Everything ok?¡± He asks.


    ¡°Everything ok?¡± I ask them.


    ¡°Yeah. We''re ok now.¡± Marcus tells me.


    ¡°Ok then. Who''s hungry?¡± I ask the bunch and four hands wave to us. A light laughter rolls over us. We walk back inside and clash with Laira in the doorway.


    ¡°Oh? Did I miss all of the fun?¡± She staggers for a moment.


    ¡°Yes. Well, kind of.¡± Breeze answers. ¡°How was your meeting with Drew?¡±


    ¡°Fine fine.¡± She''s clearly avoiding the subject. We pretend not to notice and carry on back inside. She always had this habit of not sharing something when she wasn''t sure of it. I guess whatever the side project she is working on, is important enough that she''ll keep it a secret until she gets the results desired. Complete opposite of our little Cleanser. He can ramble on and on about theories and ideas. I smile at the sound of that image. Even inside my mind, I can clearly hear his excited mumbling. Everyone sits down for our late lunch. The kids seem to have bonded well. Ether has joined the twins on the "lower level" aka the floor. Hence the reason why we had double decker tables made. Can''t help, but question this calm and cheery mood... My wife and the kids. Marcus and Laira with their boy. Seems unreal still... I reach for my glass when the door to our bedroom opens slightly. I freeze mid reach. A man walks in.


    ¡°Room for one more?¡± That voice!


    ¡°Percival!¡± Breeze beats me to it and rushes over to greet our Cleanser. I put my plate down and get up too.


    ¡°So wonderful to see you!¡± Zarri gives the kid a warm embrace. I wait for my turn on the side.


    ¡°Welcome back.¡± She tells Percy.


    ¡°It''s good to be back.¡± The kid nods.


    ¡°So, the prodigal son returns.¡± I give him a tight hug too. ¡°You look like hell by the way.¡± I glare at him.


    ¡°You''ve been neglecting your health again. There''s barely any meat on those bones!¡± Zarri pitches in.


    ¡°The robe hangs off your shoulders like a laundry pole¡±. I hammer it in. Percy chuckles.


    ¡°I missed this. I feel right at home listening to the two of you.¡± He gives us an exhausted smile.


    ¡°Well come on. Sit and eat already.¡± Breeze pushes our Cleanser. I make room on the couch for him and we surround the kid.


    ¡°Hello you two.¡± Percy smiles at Laira and Marcus.


    ¡°Glad to see you made it.¡± The Mage smiles.


    ¡°I thought you said you were swamped?¡± Laira hands the kid a glass.


    ¡°I am, but I wanted to see everyone.¡± Percy confesses.¡± The kids too. He looks down. Hi, Reina, Xander. I''m Percival. It''s nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Uncle!¡± Xan jumps into Percy''s arms.


    ¡°I figured he''d be younger...¡± Rei stares at our Cleanser. We laugh it off.


    ¡°Sorry to disappoint.¡± Percy smiles at her. ¡°How you been, Ether?¡±


    ¡°I''m well, thank you. Happy to see you, teacher.¡± The boy smiles.


    ¡°Teacher?¡± I look at Laira.


    ¡°I''ve been teaching him some things whenever I visit.¡± Percy explains.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°So we hear. I figured he calls you uncle too, though.¡± I look over at the boy and catch him blush lightly.


    ¡°He calls us "teacher" now more.¡± Percy adds. Right...


    ¡°Ether finds school to be somewhat boring, he doesn¡¯t really care much for the real teachers. Marcus admits. Ha!


    ¡°That''s a good sign.¡± I laugh.


    ¡°So? Where''s Tyro?¡± Our Cleanser looks around.


    ¡°Wait. You KNEW!¡± Laira glares at the kid.


    ¡°Yes. I looked over the pregnancy, well, somewhat, anyways.¡±


    Laira puts her hand over her face, shaking her head. ¡°I swear. So. it''s us only you lied to?¡±


    ¡°Technically we didn''t lie.¡± I try to smooth it over. ¡°We just didn''t tell you.¡±


    ¡°Same thing!¡± Laira''s mad again.


    ¡°Ro-ro is sleeping over there.¡± Rei takes Percy by the hand and takes him to the bed. Our Cleanser takes a long look at our Youngest.


    ¡°He seems healthy. I''m glad.¡±


    ¡°We are too.¡± Zarri says.


    ¡°Well? How long you¡¯re staying for?¡± I ask the kid.


    ¡°I''ll be going back with them. I know you have Cobalus and Venatus to go to.¡±


    ¡°Yes, unfortunately, we have yet to receive word from the Archives.¡± Laira tells him.


    ¡°That''s actually why I''m here. I''ll be going there instead. I have the pass anyway.¡± Percy says munching on some roasted duck.


    ¡°I figured that thing had like an expiration date or something?¡± My curiosity gets the better of me.


    ¡°Well, yes, but really, they are too distracted over there to pay attention to it anyways, I figured I can use the same one to gain access and save you the trouble.¡± Percival glances over at the other two. ¡°Since Repperi is farthest away, I''ll leave a few days later and if all goes well, I should be back right around the time you''ll get back from Venatus.¡±


    ¡°Right, we figured we''d go by boat this time, straight from Cobalus, if worse came to pass, we''d stop by Repperi on our way back.¡± Marcus adds.


    ¡°Well, this way, we can extend our visit a bit longer. The King isn''t really monitoring my movements. But if anything, I''ll use my pass as an excuse why I left.¡± Zarri refills the kid''s glass and Percival downs it right away.


    ¡°Easy on the vine there, you''ll pass out cold in your current condition.¡± I tease the Cleanser.


    ¡°Sorry, everything is so delicious I can''t stop.¡±


    ¡°Take your time.¡± Breeze fills his glass up again.


    ¡°I have to say though, your way of thinking is truly terrifying as much as it is impressive.¡± I admit.


    ¡°I know, right?¡± Marcus agrees with me instantly. ¡°He could take over the world if he wanted to.¡± A wave of laughter rolls over again.


    ¡°For the time being I''ll be satisfied with saving it first. Then, if I''ll be in the mood for it, I can try world domination later too.¡± The kid answers. Another wave follows. Strangely enough I missed this wholesome feeling.


    ¡°Well then, care to tell us when can we finally move in?¡± Marcus asks the Head of the RRD.


    ¡°I''d rather you didn''t. Ever.¡± The kid says. ¡°But if you want, you can come around for a visit once we return. We''ve been keeping a safe distance from the Site just in case, so far there haven''t been any infections or changes. So, I would consider it to be safe enough.¡±


    ¡°Are we allowed to talk about it now?¡± I ask our Cleanser.


    ¡°I don''t know? Should we?¡± He looks us over.


    ¡°We heard some of it.¡± Zarri tells him. ¡°It got me plenty curious.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± I admit.


    Percy gives us a heavy sigh and a smile. ¡°What would you like to know?¡±


    ¡°How are the drugs development going? For one.¡± Breeze hits first.


    ¡°Well. That. Since we established that three different approaches are needed to deal with the Malice, we have been successful in that front. However.¡±


    ¡°However?¡± Marcus raises an eyebrow.


    ¡°So far we have been successful with small amounts of it. For instance: if we take a blade covered in the Malice and infect a living creature with it, we are able to save it by purifying the body and administering two types of drugs. One for the Disease, which does appear to be a flesh eating one and another a combination of the most "popular" poison antidote.¡±


    ¡°Sounds promising.¡± I say.


    ¡°Yes. Sadly, our main issue remains. Quantity. We have no idea how much of any of the three components we''ll actually need. There''s no way to calculate that. So far we can only say that the further away from the crater, the less potions are need. It also takes less time to cleanse and purify.¡± Percival explains in between his meal.


    ¡°Have you considered doing it in stages?¡± Breeze suggests.


    He nods. ¡°We have.¡±


    ¡°Somehow I feel there''s a "but" coming in.¡± I jump in. He nods again.


    ¡°So far the Malice is so strong that the Vines wilt at first contact with it. Forcing the potions down into the ground takes too much mana and the ground absorbs more of them as it goes deeper, so the potions don¡¯t even reach that deep. At the moment, we have no way of reaching the possible core directly. Which, to be honest, does not come as a surprise to me. I was expecting that much.¡± Percy takes a quick drink.


    ¡°How are you able to measure the depth?¡± Zarri asks.


    ¡°We conjure up a giant pillar from the ground upwards, it allows for closer study, there are risks involved, but we¡¯ve been careful. So far we know for a fact that stone is the most resilient against the Malice.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡± Breeze mumbles.


    ¡°You were saying?¡± I steer the kid back on track.


    ¡°Right, anyways, we could, probably form a net of Vines underneath the crater, to prevent the spreading. To an extent. In about four years, ish? The radius hasn''t changed. Provided the current perimeter is its maximum limit - we could at least prepare for the main cleansing. I do believe we would need to work our way outward, going inward. Once the Cleansers to their part, we can have Ravos and Shamans moving in, gradually closing in on the core.¡±


    ¡°That''s what you meant by preventing the spread?¡± Laira cuts in. Percy nods.


    ¡°We have already planted the trees for that. We have time for the trees to grow naturally, with little magical effort. Oh, did you know that the bigger the tree the more mana it takes to make it grow? Zaltem has been patient with me so far and has humored me with the experiments.¡± The kid side tracks a little.


    ¡°However. Problem #2;¡± Percy holds two fingers up; ¡°we have no way of knowing if we''ll have enough Ravos for at least a tree each. Worse case, we may be able to use them for the cleansing part only.¡±


    ¡°Right. It''s not like Druids grow on trees.¡± Marcus makes a joke. His grin tells us the Mage is quite proud of it too. Laira rolls her eyes at her husband.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Percy turns the comment into a serious matter in a second. ¡°Anyways. The core is the main problem. The magic would be the strongest at the bottom of the crater. I believe that if we make a preemptive strike, we should be able to limit the damage as much as possible. We have been roaming around the crater, even going near it, the Castle has not shown any signs of activity. This solidifies the hibernation part of the theory.¡± He quiets down again.


    ¡°Another "but" here?¡± I break first again.


    He nods. ¡°I do think that the Castle senses danger and prepares for battle. The 200-Years-of-Darkness is proof of that. Now, because up until now we have been charging the Castle, it engaged us in battle accordingly. The one time where nothing was done, the Malice exploded, consuming most of the continent.¡±


    ¡°That''s why you want to move in earlier? Even if it will be able to respond to the incoming threat, the Curse won¡¯t be in full swing. Correct?¡± Breeze beats us to it this time.


    Percy giggles. ¡°No wonder they picked you. Yes, Commander, that''s precisely the reason why.¡±


    "Commander?" Xan looks at his mom and then at me.


    ¡°Long story kiddo. I''ll tell ya later, ok?¡± I pat his head. He nods, hesitantly.


    "Question. What happens if the plan fails? Not that I doubt your abilities." Marcus asks and his face reflects instant regret.


    "Last time the Rebirth went unchecked it engulfed the entire Existara. Considering that the magic stored now is several times higher than before... It very well may destroy the entire Terra. This is the one thing we cannot afford to experiment with." Percival says, his face grim as ever. Nobody ever wants to ask these things, nor do they truly wish to know... This guy has been pondering over the idea of doom''s day for about five years... His tired shoulder''s cannot possibly keep up with the burdens...


    "Sorry I asked..." Marcus feels uneasy. As do the rest of us. The Cleanser shakes his head.


    "Don''t be. It''s a valid question."


    "Basically nothing changes." Breeze cuts into the gloom. "Whether we like it or not, we don''t have an option. Engaging the Rebirth is the better option still. The ground work is being laid out. If not this time, then the next."


    "Agree." Laira joins in. "No reason for you take on the responsibility for this alone. Do what you can. Focus on that." She smiles at our exhausted Cleanser. Percy nods.


    ¡°If that is the case, then you need more Shields. I assume the Tree Dome would probably be too much to ask of the Ravos?¡± Laira continues back on track. Percy nods again.


    ¡°Perhaps this way is better. Stone appears to be the least affected material. We''ll have an Earth Squad ready by the Tree Line in case worse comes to be. While Stone Mages will act as first line of defense within the inner circle of the Crater.¡±


    ¡°You''re a natural Tactician.¡± I tell Our Cleanser.


    ¡°Of course, he is. Wouldn''t have brought him on board otherwise. I have to say, I noticed his leadership potential long ago.¡± Zarri acts like a pompous-proud-ass within the short moment that the kid is left speechless.


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± He finally snaps out of it.


    ¡°Because of the way you think. It''s not just your quick thinking.¡± Laira says.


    ¡°It''s cause you''re thorough and meticulous too.¡± Marcus adds.


    ¡°You dig to the bottom of every problem and find a way.¡± I take over.


    ¡°You don''t just plan ahead, nor do you - "think of something" as you go along.¡± Laira picks up again.


    ¡°You have a backup plan ready too.¡± Marcus pitches in.


    ¡°Even your plans are adjustable within the calculated possibilities of what might be.¡± I continue.


    ¡°You have the kind of a potential that kings need to dream of.¡± Aaand Breeze finishes it.


    ¡°Surely you gest.¡± Percy blushes.


    ¡°Not at all.¡± I''m quick to disagree.


    ¡°I... I simply operate on three simple rules...¡± The kid looks down again. ¡°Observe. Analyze. Adapt. So simple yet so overlooked...¡± Breeze bursts into laughter.


    ¡°Care to share?¡± I stare at her confused.


    ¡°Well that brings back memories...¡± She says giggling.


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± I keep my look on her.


    ¡°Commander told me those three words during the battle.¡± The kid fesses up.


    ¡°Oh, well now you''ve done it, she''ll be taking all of the credit for your brain...¡± The Mage exclaims with a sigh.


    ¡°We''ll never hear the end of it...¡± Laira agrees.


    ¡°Ok ok, cool down you drama-mammas. I admit I am proud of Percival as a parent, but I don''t have that much audacity in me to claim monopoly over his achievements. It''s all him.¡± Zarri goes into her half-Queen mode. Right. Sure.


    ¡°Whatever you say.¡± Marcus pushes it a bit more.


    ¡°Ugh.¡± Breeze sighs. ¡°Next topic?¡±


    ¡°The troops are becoming quite versatile in their magic uses. Combat and Everyday alike.¡± Percy quickly jumps on the change of topic wagon.


    ¡°Oh, we already had our up-close demonstration of that.¡± I glance over to little Ether.


    ¡°Breeze?¡± Laira''s tone captures my attention and redirects towards my wife again. Her face seems to be lost in thought, with a hint of regret, but with a soft smile still... I lean over Percy and put my hand on her knee. Zarri''s eyes shift to it out of reflex. Slowly, the life comes back to them. Her gaze traces my fingers, up the arm and our eyes meet.


    ¡°Something on your mind?¡± My lips ask with gentle smile.


    ¡°I understand now.¡± Breeze exhales softly. ¡°I think I finally understand.¡± Her glance slides away from me and onto the young Cleanser. ¡°I was doing it all wrong...¡± A hint of remorse flashes across her face and instantly turns into relief...


    ¡°Would you like to clue us in?¡± Marcus whispers.


    ¡°Commander?¡± The kid finally breaks from the pressure and his eyes begin to bounce around in his skull.


    ¡°I was doing it all wrong.¡± Breeze says again. ¡°I tried to change the system by going after those at the top.¡± She speaks in a quiet voice. ¡°I wanted to change the wrong thing. That''s why I failed. That''s why it never worked out... I never had the answers. Only questions...¡±


    ¡°Breeze? What are you talking about?¡± Laira''s lost too. I think I have a feeling where this is coming from... I let my wife continue instead.


    ¡°Back when we first arrived at Araneum, when we got to be part of the Congress. Right before the Rebirth. I was appalled at how the old geezers were organizing the issue. They wanted different results, without implementing changes into the system. It made me furious. I couldn¡¯t comprehend that.¡± She scowls for a quick moment at the memory.


    ¡°It was almost impossible to make them budge on anything. Especially when all I had were questions without answers. Nobody wants those.¡± She snickers again¡­


    ¡°Going up against a rigid system as that you need to have your answers before asking the questions. It was impossible for me to change it right from the start. Of course, back then, half of the reasons why, if not all, were due to my rebellious spirit.¡± Breeze says with a clearly dull expression in agreement with her stupid past self. I smile.


    ¡°Nonetheless. Now I understand my mistake. Changes are not supposed to be made within an existing structure. They need to be built from the ground up. It''s not the old system who needs to be persuaded, but the users of the next generation. They are the ones who will build the new system by themselves as they go along...¡± Zarri looks back at Percival again.


    ¡°Percival, that is why you will be the one to succeed where I failed. You don''t just have questions alone. You find the answers too. Something I never managed...¡± Breeze finishes with a motherly look.


    The kid''s head begins to shake side to side before he even has the chance to realize it. ¡°I wasn''t the one to inspire them. It was you...¡±


    ¡°No. Inspiring isn''t enough.¡± Zarri disagrees on the spot. ¡°They need to know how to make their inspirations a reality. Without that kind of knowledge those inspirations or nothing more than pipe dreams. I admit that I had different ideas on the same things and how to use them, but since I couldn''t make it work with simply my words, that is, I was only able to paint the picture with my words. Nobody was interested in anything that could not be shown or touched.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡± I finally join in on her monologue. ¡°That''s why we never got anywhere after the Rebirth. That and other reasons. We didn''t have enough followers on our side to make our case against the Council. Especially not against the Congress. It''s a shame really, people tend to pay more attention to the person who is speaking, rather than the words spoken.¡± I glance over at our Cleanser with a smile.


    Breeze nods. ¡°With your resourcefulness, Percy;¡± Zarri addresses the kid again; ¡°you are able to achieve the impossible. All I did was take a chance on you. The same way old man Bellkehm did for me... Difference is, I disappointed his trust...¡± Breeze giggles nervously. ¡°I owe him an apology...¡±


    ¡°No you don''t. Trust me on this.¡± I lock my eyes on hers. She doesn¡¯t fight it.


    The Cleanser shakes his head again. ¡°I...¡± The Mage puts his hand on the kid''s shoulder.


    ¡°Don''t fight it. She won.¡± He says and sits back down again.


    ¡°It is true, you know.¡± Laira agrees too.


    ¡°If anything, the proof is sitting right there.¡± I nod to Ether. ¡°Our little Shaman Mage, Cleanser apprentice was kind enough to show us his skills earlier today.¡± I add and the boy blushes. Zarri picks up where I left off.


    ¡°I wonder what we could do in return for him?¡± She plays dumb. ¡°If only we had any clue what he would like...¡±


    ¡°The trees...¡± Huh? ¡°I''d like to see the place where the trees grow inside, but also outside...¡± Ether carefully looks up at Breeze. ¡°Aunty?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean the Star Garden. Of course.¡± Zarri agrees on the spot. The little one seems to be quite happy about it. Whereas the mother of the boy appears to be rather concerned, instead. Can''t blame her.


    ¡°Would you mind if we...?¡± Laira asks carefully.


    ¡°We''ll all go.¡± Zarri answers. I wonder. We finish up with our lunch-ish and go visit the grave.


    ¡°The flowers have been growing nicely.¡± Laira says, breaking the somewhat uncomfortable silence on our way there. "I have been supplying them with magic on a regular basis, it''s more like a colored shrub-vine mix growing around the tree."


    ¡°Oh? Sounds lovely. I''d like to see it someday.¡± Breeze''s voice somewhat contradicts itself. I feel uneasy. We reach the Garden. The kids run in head on with a game of tag. I pick our Youngest up and hold my wife by the hand. Out of sheer habit Zarri walks straight over to the tomb stone. The adults line up in a half circle in front of it, next to us too. A long minute passes by and the rest of the rascals settle down in between us. Rei''s and Xander''s faces tell me they are waiting for the same thing to happen as I am. Nobody says anything. No words are needed. Breeze breaks down the next moment. On her knees. Sobbing without a sound. I pass Tyro over to his siblings. Reina and Xan know the drill well. They take their brother and huddle up. I kneel next to my weeping wife and hold her. A sigh escapes out of me. I notice how Ether keeps darting his eyes between Breeze and his parents, wondering what happened.


    ¡°Don''t worry about it, Ether. We''re fine. This happens every time...¡± I tell the boy, but his face tells me he doesn''t believe the "fine" part. We don''t talk about Emerald not because we forgot all about her. It''s because we simply cannot talk about it, yet... It has been about six years since she''s gone. Yet to a Noxian that''s almost the same as last month. The last time she managed to do it without breaking down was when we were discussing the RRD findings. A day doesn''t go by when she doesn''t miss her... Same goes for me. Sometimes I will catch myself wanting to show Emerald the kids and the life freezes for a painful moment. It''s in those times that I have to remind myself of the sad reality. After our second Rebirth, Emerald''s death felt nothing short of how it felt losing Starlight. If it weren''t for Breeze and the kids - I probably would have lost it long ago. There''s so much suffering that I can handle... Yet my pain fades in comparison to what she feels... Even if she doesn''t show or admit it. The fact that each time we come here all she does is sob, tells me all I need to know. Seeing my reason for living in agony hurts more than anything before... Percival kneels next to us.


    ¡°Lady;¡± he whispers gently, something in his voice worries me; ¡°there''s something you should know...¡±


    ¡°Percival, don''t.¡± Laira hisses. Now I''m seriously worried.


    ¡°She has the right to know too.¡± Percival whispers again.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Remember when I said that the Castle has probably a magic core that is able to preserve human consciousness?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I speak for Zarri.


    ¡°Your dragon, Sky, was all the proof we ever needed... His blood seal never faded... Lady Starlight was alive all this time...¡± Say what now? Zarri stops her crying. I feel her breathe. Please, don''t... Don''t...


    ¡°We can determine that a consciousness preserved with the accumulated magic can be frozen in time for at least one full cycle of the Rebirth...¡± Percival continues...


    ¡°Chances are that Lady Emerald, or at least her soul, is alive too...¡± Don''t... Breeze shows her face. She holds her breath and stares at the Cleanser. The kid persists to have a staring contest with the ground instead.


    ¡°Are you... telling me...¡± Breeze gurgles the words out, slips out of my arms and grabs Percival by the shoulders. I take a back seat... For now.


    ¡°Are you... telling me... That Emerald, MY Emerald IS ALIVE!!¡± She shrieks the words out now.


    ¡°Tell me I can save her!! TELL ME!¡± Breeze shakes the Cleanser violently. The kid does not make a beep.


    ¡°You have a way to do it!! Don''t you! You do know how to bring her back!! DON¡¯T YOU!!¡± Breeze shrieks hysterically.


    ¡°Hun.¡± I put my hand on her shoulder. She shrugs it off.


    ¡°TELL ME YOU CAN SAVE HER!!¡± She''s losing it. Breeze continues to shake Percival, trying to force the answers out of him... I try to get her off him. She clings harder.


    ¡°TELL ME!!!!¡± She screams in the kid''s face again.


    ¡°I CAN¡¯T!! THERE IS NO WAY!! I TRIED!! I WANTED TO!! I DID!! I TRIED!! BUT THERE ISN¡¯T!! ANYTHING!!¡± Percival snaps and yells back, toping Breeze''s hysterics with his own. Tears fall down in tiny rivers on the kid''s face... The hope, the disappointment, the despair... It''s written all over him...


    ¡°There''s nothing that can be done...¡± He takes in silent gulps of air. ¡°Nothing like this has ever happened before... Possessions are Primal Magic. Same as your Druid powers. I believe that the only reason why Noxians and only Noxians can become Beast Druids, Hell, ANY Druids in the first place, is because of your origin. The cosmic power. It''s the only reason you can enter the Spirit Realm. But a spirit is a spirit. It has no shape. It needs a vessel. A body...¡± Percival keeps his eyes locked with Breeze''s deranged glare.


    ¡°Even if we could recover the lives lost. Chances are, we would need living sacrifices for the souls saved. Beast Druid''s share a body with an animal. It works, because it is an animal. But two humans cannot live in one body...¡± His voice might have calmed, but his tears haven''t.


    ¡°Same with the Shamanic Overtake. The four elements. They are the only four that are constantly around us. Nothing is more primal than Air, Water, Fire, Earth and Magic. Plants need all four to grow. Enchanted Herbs need the fifth element to work. That''s why we are able to use them... Only Shamans with affinities can even begin to attempt the Overtake challenge. One must connect to the Spirit of the Element to be able to fuse with it. Getting buried or burned alive is the only way... Your spirit must clash with that of the Element. If the Element deems you worthy - they let you borrow its power... That''s what the records say...¡± What records? Our Cleanser slowly regains his composure.


    ¡°I had someone look into every bit of information about Possessions as much as possible, yet... The only ones recorded are Druid and Shaman ones, and even those were because some deluded Primerian went to interrogate a bunch of Shamans and Druids. The Shamans had a more difficult time admitting the strange feeling experienced during the challenge. I suspect that not even the Shamans of today talk out loud about it... That was the most real research that anyone has attempted into Possessions...¡± Leave it to the kid to uncover the truth...


    He continues. ¡°Everything else related to Possessions are mostly folk tales... That is why it was classified as Primal Magic. Everything that cannot be explained falls under the category... There are no spells for it... Such Magic does not exist outside its Natural Phenomenon. Possessions are also called visions, illusions, poison, hypnosis, delusions, hallucinations, illness... It is virtually impossible to project one human consciousness into another body...¡± We wait... This clearly isn''t over yet.


    ¡°Even if we could bring everyone back... Most of them have been dead for centuries... The world is not as they remember... They have no families to return to any more... Everyone they ever loved is long dead too... Why would you want to bring them back into such suffering? What life would that be?¡± The kid makes a solid case... Too bad my stupid wife doesn''t feel that way. Her hand resembles a claw now and she swipes down in an instant.


    ¡°Breeze!¡± I jump after her and freeze. Zarri hugs Percival to her.


    ¡°Enough. You''ve done enough. You don¡¯t have to suffer anymore...¡± Huh? My wife''s voice is calm and soothing once again. Then who''s crying? I lean over her shoulder. Percival is bawling his eyes out. Can''t imagine what he must have endured trying to figure this one out, on top of trying to run the Base... Poor kid...


    ¡°You''ve done enough...¡± Breeze holds our little Cleanser in her embrace. Percy keeps on weeping, louder with each breath till his strength abandons him and he passes out.


    ¡°I''m sorry, I didn''t think he''d say anything since...¡± Laira tries something.


    ¡°It''s fine. I''m glad he told me.¡± Breeze strokes Percy''s back.


    ¡°Poor kid. He tries so hard...¡± Marcus says.


    ¡°Least he was able to take the load of his chest...¡± I add.


    ¡°Give him a week to recover. You can leave for your official business once he rests a bit.¡± Zarri suggests.


    ¡°No problem. We were planning on it anyways.¡± Marcus agrees with a smile.


    ¡°I''m sorry for scaring everyone...¡± Breeze looks over her shoulder at the kids. None of the little ones say anything.


    ¡°Right, then, allow me.¡± I pick the boy up and off my wife.


    ¡°Who do you think it was that helped him this time?¡± Marcus beats me to it.


    ¡°Zaltem never mentioned anything.¡± Laira answers.


    ¡°I have a pretty good guess.¡± I gesture to the part of the kid''s "tattoo" peeking out from under the sleeve.


    ¡°Oooh. Think so?¡± Marcus flashes a quick coy-ish smile.


    ¡°Know any other place overflowing with information like that?¡± I wink at the Mage.


    ¡°Good point.¡± He answers and we chuckle.


    ¡°Ugh, such boys, leave the poor kid alone.¡± Laira disciplines us.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± Marcus and I answer together.


    ¡°You alright?¡± Laira asks Breeze as she picks up our Youngest again.


    ¡°I''ll try to be.¡± Points for honesty. Xan and Rei join hands and follow us out, with Ether by Laira''s side.


    I walk up the stairs. A figure awaits by the entrance to the Archives.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡± It speaks to me. Ah.


    ¡°Is this supposed to be a promotion or a demotion for you, Miss Ocana?¡± I bow my head. The woman reveals herself from under her hood.


    ¡°Neither. I understand you''re here on behalf of the RRD?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It has been decided to visit the Original Nations once every five years to report on the progress and to solidify the relations between Existara and the Land of Race.¡±


    ¡°So I recall. Unfortunately for you, nobody pays attention here to anything, ever. I''m afraid your trip has been a waste of time.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that''s fine. I was prepared for something like this.¡± I take the scroll out and hand it to her. ¡°This is the full report, should anyone find interest in it and a Letter of Gratitude for the Headmaster from the King himself.¡± I give the letter with the seal up on purpose. She takes them from me.


    ¡°I shall pass them along. Don''t get your hopes up, though.¡± Ocana warns me. I chuckle.


    ¡°Noted.¡±


    ¡°So? How is the RRD?¡±


    ¡°Gaining progress. I found out that some of my initial predictions and ideas were wrong. Goes to show how important our work is. For best results we need to be prepared as much as we can. I''m glad to see that everyone''s effort is paying off.¡±


    ¡°And? Are you still working yourself to death? As naive as before?¡± She asks me with the same cold look.


    I ponder for a moment and smile. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What for? You know you won''t live long enough to see the results.¡±


    ¡°Even so. I find meaning in trying. It helps to see that changes are happening already too. I''ve come to a realization that helps me move forward and it''s not debt.¡±


    ¡°Then what? Last time you felt a responsibility to make it happen.¡±


    ¡°I feel the same way still. However. I''ve come to know another meaning of life as well. Not sure how I will incorporate the two, but I might as well try.¡± I tell her.


    ¡°What that might be?¡± Ocana keeps the same cold tone.


    ¡°A relationship.¡± I answer bluntly.


    ¡°Oh? As I recall, you said that you can''t enjoy the pleasures of the body if your mind is not in it?¡± She mocks me.


    ¡°I did. I don''t deny it. But I also realize that is only true where there is no connection between me and the other person. I learned that by watching someone close to me.¡± I answer. ¡°I realize that a truly intimate relationship is more intricate than one thinks. It''s based on hard work getting to know each other. Lots of effort and even more communication. Of which not all may be pleasant yet is necessary still. I''ve come to believe that the better the bond between two people, the better the chances they have of overcoming difficulties in life.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Her attitude has always been a bit standoff-ish, but today she''s not pulling any of her punches...


    ¡°Like what?¡± She asks again, harsher.


    ¡°Adoption.¡± I answer quickly for no reason. Damn me...


    ¡°Elaborate.¡±


    ¡°Well. Not everyone has the strength to raise a child that is not theirs. Heck, some parents don''t even have the capacity to raise their own. If they did there wouldn''t be any step-parents.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s wrong with step-parents?¡±


    I shrug my shoulders. ¡°Nothing. Much. I mean, let¡¯s take individuals who are well developed, have all their mental faculties in place and have no "social problems". The kind of ones that are not intelligent only, but also emotionally intelligent.¡±


    ¡°I fail to see the difference.¡± Ocana glares at me with dull eyes.


    ¡°There is. This may not be the best example, but I used to have a Master that was well versed in healings and had a decent reputation at the Palace. Now, I respect the person because of their knowledge. However. As a person they were lacking... I can''t explain well what it feels like, but. For now, I''ll leave it at that. Then again, I know that my grandmother, for instance, lacked knowledge and skill, but thinking back, she managed to sound more intelligent at times than the Palace Master.¡± I take a moment. I''d rather not turn this into one of my lectures...


    ¡°After meeting some people I realized the difference. Being smart is not the same as being a decent person. Rather, you can be a genius and still a total moron.¡±


    ¡°Impossible.¡± Ocana hisses. I smile.


    ¡°You''d think so, huh? Sadly, life has shown me otherwise. Intelligence and emotional intelligence are two different things. To be truly a "successful" person one must be well developed in both areas. The difference is, emotionally intelligent people are better people, even without high intelligence. Whereas high intelligence people lacking emotional intelligence will never be as great of people.¡± I take a moment.


    ¡°Do I make sense?¡± I ask the girl.


    ¡°No. Zero.¡± She tells me blunt and sharp. I chuckle.


    ¡°I figured. Well. As I said, I''m not able to explain it, but that''s the conclusion I''ve come to. Now, why do I think that emotional intelligence is important for a relationship? Because it determines the compatibility. Values and interests are crucial for a relationship. If they are too different than it doesn''t work. Too similar and you lose the reason to improve. Anyways. I''m going of topic.¡± I take a moment again.


    ¡°I think that adopting a child for two people is more difficult to achieve rather than for one person.¡±


    ¡°Based on?¡± Ocana throws another snowball of a question.


    ¡°Based on values and interests. Both people need to share those in order to successfully adapt to the new situation. I think the reason why some people abandon their own children is because they are unable to agree on those values. Their priorities are different and their attention lies elsewhere. Sadly.¡±


    ¡°I still don''t see how intimacy works here?¡±


    ¡°Right. Well. The deeper the connection between people, the better the chances of agreement. I mean, if you can''t agree on anything than clearly it won''t work out. In my example about adoption, or rather children in general, the real victims are the kids that get stuck in the middle of that incompatibility. It''s way too easy to bring a life into this world. But I have to question. Is it really how it should be?¡±


    ¡°Meaning what?¡±


    ¡°How easy it is to walk away from a "failed project?" Should it really be that easy? How can one be a proud step-parent when they never really tried to be a proud parent in the first place? Honestly. This is a controversial topic, but those are my thoughts on it.¡±


    ¡°How exactly does this apply to adoption then?¡± Ocana hammers in another freezing question.


    ¡°Because. Adopting can be compared to rehab. Adopting a person, you know nothing about and helping them adjust, raising them, the challenges and problems that arise from the entire situation. Finding a way to deal with them. In my eyes, that''s almost the same as emotional rehabilitation. It''s difficult to override existing problems. You need different kind of strength to resolve yourself to it. It''s different when raising your own. That''s like a clean slate. Well. To a point. Gaining trust and earning respect from a broken soul - difficult is an understatement.¡± I pause at the image of the three of them.


    ¡°Adopting as well as raising your own - takes a strong and deep relationship to make it happen successfully.¡±


    ¡°Basically, you believe that effort should be spent into getting to know someone else before "anything" happens?¡± Ocana¡¯s tone shows zero sign of life.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I lower my gaze again. ¡°That''s what I mean by intimate. Of course, that only comes after a lot of soul-searching for yourself first, but that''s a topic for another time." I say. "Or not." I add quickly too...


    ¡°Nonsense. You do realize that nobody wants to work that hard for someone else who they don''t even know if they will be there tomorrow...¡± I wonder how long ago has the life faded from Ocana''s eyes. I smile softly.


    ¡°I would. Least I could say I don''t have any regrets. I tried. But if it''s not meant to be then there''s only so much I could do. I''m not talking about forcing anything onto anyone. I simply think that getting to know a person and how they are in reality, pays off in the long run. The sooner you figure your compatibility out the better. Besides...¡±


    ¡°Besides what?¡± She cuts in sharply into my one second of silence.


    ¡°There has to be some sort of balance. It''s only natural.¡±


    ¡°Balance?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If we''re both super busy, working towards separate goals, then when exactly are we spending time with each other?¡± I ask her. Rather, nobody...


    ¡°Is that why you want a "pet" now? So. she could purr in your lap as you scroll through miles of parchments and papers?¡± Ocana mocks me again. I can''t help, but laugh.


    ¡°Part of me would love that... No, I lied. Given the right connection - I''d definitely love that.¡± I smile again. The girl stares at me disgusted.


    ¡°Isn''t that mighty selfish of you?¡±


    ¡°It is. Is it wrong of me to be selfish? I want what I want.¡± I hold her gaze. She doesn''t answer.


    ¡°My apologies. I''ve taken up more of your precious time than I should have.¡± I bow and leave.


    ¡°Oh right!¡± I quickly stir inside my bag and pull it out. I rush back over to Ocana and place the item in her hand.


    ¡°What''s this?¡±


    ¡°A token of my appreciation. A gift. Not charity.¡± I tell her. She slowly unwraps the bow and the fabric.


    ¡°This is...¡±


    ¡°You''re free to do with it as you please. Sell it even. It''s yours. I pray I won''t have to abuse your kindness like that ever again with my selfish affairs. Take care.¡± I bow again and quickly walk away before I humiliate myself any more.


    ¡°Well? How did it go?¡± I ask the three at the entrance.


    ¡°Oh? You''ve returned?¡± Miss Laira comes over first.


    ¡°It didn''t take as long as I thought it would.¡±


    ¡°Lucky you.¡± Sir Marcus walks over from around the carriage.


    ¡°I take it you had some problems then?¡± I ask helping the guards with the bags.


    ¡°Hi, uncle!¡± Ether waves to me, carrying a bag too.


    ¡°Hey. Enjoy the trip?¡± I ask. He nods to me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say I didn''t get the feeling that they were happy to see us.¡± The Mage answers.


    I smile. ¡°I suppose. It''s too soon to tell anything.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess. So? Where''s the rest of them?¡± Sir Marcus looks around, waiting.


    ¡°Inside. We have a change of venue today.¡±


    ¡°Meaning?¡± Miss Laira asks suspiciously.


    ¡°You''ll see in a minute.¡± I walk them to their rooms first and continue to guide them through the place.


    ¡°If I remember correctly...¡± The Miss begins.


    ¡°Welcome back!¡± The Sir greets the family.


    ¡°Welcome back!¡± Xander and Reina cheer too.


    ¡°What is all this?¡± Sir Marcus stares at the Lady by the marble stove.


    ¡°Your wedding gift. From us, to you.¡± She winks at them.


    ¡°Breeze... I...¡± The Miss tears up with a smile. I sit down and take Tyro into my lap again, letting Reina get back to cooking.


    ¡°Now now. No need for water works.¡± Sir Crile sets some trays down.


    ¡°It''s the least we can do after receiving such lovely gifts.¡± Lady Breeze says and I finally remember what the nagging feeling was...


    ¡°I''m a moron...¡± The words slip out of me as I sit there, mortified by my own stupidity... Sir Crile slaps me on the back.


    ¡°Relax. Zaltem made sure to include one from you too.¡± He dangles the bottle.


    ¡°We helped!¡± The Eldest son waves again.


    ¡°Oh well in that case, it''s bound to be delicious.¡± Sir Marcus sits down.


    ¡°Well? How did it go?¡± Sir Crile asks them the same.


    ¡°Ugh.¡± Miss Laira finally sits down as well, stretching out on the table.


    ¡°The Headmaster of the Stables gave us exactly ten minutes. I don''t think he would have even bothered with five if it weren''t for Ether.¡± The Mage answers.


    ¡°Oh?¡± The Lady finishes up and comes over to us. Everyone takes a seat.


    ¡°He insisted on being the one to deliver the Letter of Gratitude.¡± Miss Laira answers.


    ¡°How admirable of him.¡± The Lady smiles.


    ¡°I''m so proud of him.¡± The Mage grins silly again.


    ¡°What about Cobalus?¡± Sir Crile asks too.


    ¡°Must be fun to waste such precious Herbs for silly games... Was it?¡± Miss Laira quotes Headmaster Harrenis in a disappointed elderly tone...


    ¡°Games?¡± The Lady glances over at them. Even the Sir stops carving the boar.


    ¡°Word has gotten back, apparently, about some of the training and other things...¡±


    ¡°Word?¡± I ask carefully.


    ¡°Think there are spies at the Site?¡± Sir Crile sees right through me.


    ¡°I fail to see how that would benefit anyone. It''s not that we''re trying to keep our training and plan a secret. I mean, even the Palace recruits who join now already know some of our tricks. It''s virtually impossible to completely contain the information. It''s only natural.¡±


    ¡°Guess it depends on the source and their perception of the situation.¡± The Mage shrugs his shoulders.


    ¡°I can understand why they would be upset though.¡± The Miss passes a plate to the kids. They have started without us already. ¡°They are probably experiencing some decline in their profits. Considering the deal made between the Greenhouses and the RRD.¡±


    ¡°I would dare to disagree.¡± I join in. ¡°I believe the Enchanted Herbs should be becoming more and more popular. Their demand should have increased as well as production. Not in Existara alone. Here as well. I believe that in the past it was harder to obtain the Herbs because of the difference in price and earnings. Nowadays, the earnings are higher, so the Herbs should be more accessible?¡±


    ¡°I see. That would make sense.¡± Sir Marcus agrees.


    ¡°Wait. Didn''t you say that Shamans need an affinity to try the Overtake in the first place?¡± Sir Crile looks at me.


    I nod with a mouthful of juicy meat. ¡°Yes. For Overtake. If you don''t do it - you can still be a Shaman without it. It''ll be the same as my Cleansing. A matter of reciting the spells. The trick to Shamanic casting is going back and forth between Elements. The more you wish to do the more herbs you use. We''ve discussed this before, I believe?¡±


    ¡°Yes. During someone''s suicide mission.¡± Sir Crile answers bluntly. Lady Breeze sets her glass down with a look of her own. The children have died down too, a little.


    ¡°Right well. In the olden days, it was a strict rule to have mastered only one Element because of the spells and the Herbs needed. Mostly because of the speed and accuracy of the chants. Later it was changed to All Elements in an attempt for more diversity. Exception being that only those with Overtake would be classified as High-Level.¡°


    ¡°Meaning what?¡± The Lady cuts in.


    ¡°Higher pay. Nothing more.¡± I answer and see the rage wave in her eyes. ¡°However. The difference now is that neither is required. Shamanic casting can be used as support spells, as minor or as major as the Caster needs them. Making it easier and simpler.¡±


    ¡°In other words, you''re leaving it up to the Caster to decide how they want to use it.¡± Miss Laira summarizes my rant.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± I nod.


    ¡°Perhaps the old man didn''t want to admit that it was working in their favor, after all. Wouldn''t be the first time.¡± Sir Crile jokes.


    ¡°Tell me about it.¡± The Lady agrees.


    ¡°By the way, Miss Laira, how''s the medical research going?¡±


    ¡°So THAT''S what you''ve been up to!¡± Sir Marcus jumps up. The Miss gives me a glare.


    ¡°Traitor.¡± She mutters.


    ¡°Now you know how I felt...¡± Lady Breeze mumbles too. I stare at everyone with my jaw wide open. Did I just mess up again?


    ¡°Ugh. For the record;¡± the Miss begins; ¡°it wasn''t a secret. I just...¡±


    ¡°Didn''t wanna say anything till you had something solid.¡± Sir Crile finishes. The Miss nods.


    ¡°Well?¡± The Lady nudges Miss Laira.


    ¡°It ain''t going well.¡± She admits.


    ¡°Anything we can help with?¡± Sir Marcus asks. The Miss shakes her head.


    ¡°This one''s on me.¡±


    We wait a moment longer. ¡°Guess we have no need to worry about it then.¡± Sir Crile brushes the topic off.


    ¡°Well, since there''s no more business left to discuss, shall we?¡± The Lady gestures to the feast in front of us.


    ¡°Looks like someone beat us to it.¡± Sir Marcus chuckles, pointing to half empty plates and four little ones long gone.

 19. The Hand and the Girl

    ¡°Stand down!¡± We rush out the Palace. Our loyal guards are too diligent. They already have them surrounded.


    ¡°Make way!¡± I yell. The guards give us a quick glance and retreat, slowly.


    ¡°Show some respect!¡± Breeze runs over to the two of them. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. No big deal.¡±


    ¡°Been a while.¡± I extend my left hand.


    ¡°Thirteen years.¡± Jack shakes it.


    ¡°Welcome to Astri.¡± Breeze gives the Ram her hand as well. ¡°Who might you be?¡± She asks the Cornutese girl next to our old friend.


    ¡°Anthona.¡± She answers ruffly. Jack gives her a strong pat on the back.


    ¡°And.¡± He suggests.


    ¡°Pleased to meet you¡­¡± She bows her head slightly, mumbling the words out.


    ¡°I see she¡¯s picked up on a few things from you.¡± I mock Jack.


    ¡°More than a few.¡± He grins. I don¡¯t think I have ever seen him smile before. And yet that grin is full of pride.


    ¡°Please, let us show you to your room.¡± Breeze gestures toward the inside. Our trio has gathered below the arch as well.


    ¡°Those yours?¡± Our Ram asks bluntly.


    ¡°All three.¡± Now I grin proudly.


    ¡°Xander Shadowkill.¡± Pleased to meet ya. Our Eldest steps forward extending his left hand as well.


    ¡°Jack.¡± The Ram shakes it.


    ¡°Reina Shadowkill. Welcome.¡± Jack takes her hand.


    "Thank you."


    ¡°Tyro Shadowkill. It¡¯s an honor to meet you, sir.¡±


    ¡°Likewise.¡± Jack nods.


    ¡°Can I get that for you?¡± Xan asks Anthona, pointing to her bag. ¡°I¡¯m Xander, by the way.¡± He grins again.


    ¡°I heard you the first time.¡± She scowls, tossing him the bag.


    ¡°Behave.¡± The Ram doesn¡¯t even look at the girl.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t you something.¡± Rei stares the child down.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Tony!¡± Jack turns his head just a bit with that one. The girl quickly shuts up, but the displeased face remains in place.


    ¡°May we call you Tony too?¡± Tyro tries to approach the child. She opens her mouth and shuts it again.


    ¡°Whatever.¡± She says after a long break.


    ¡°Lovely child.¡± Breeze whispers.


    ¡°She¡¯s a handful.¡± Jack admits.


    ¡°That¡¯s evident.¡± I second.


    ¡°Kiddos.¡± Breeze turns around. ¡°How about you show Tony around while the three of us catch up, for old times¡¯ sake?¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± Rei nods.


    ¡°Meet you guys at dinner. Don¡¯t go too crazy.¡± I tell them.


    ¡°No promises." Xan winks at us.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡± Jack warns his kid. Tony seals her lips inside her mouth, only a straight line remains on her face. We continue walking onto the terrace.


    ¡°Please;¡± Zarri points to a chair; ¡°is there anything you¡¯d like?¡±


    ¡°Liquor.¡± He says and I roar with laughter. I take a glass and fill it up.


    ¡°Hope this works.¡± I hand the Ram his drink.


    ¡°So then, how long has it been like this?¡± Breeze points to the stub that is the Ram¡¯s right hand.


    ¡°Some time now¡­¡± He confesses, taking a sip. ¡°That¡¯s actually why I¡¯m here. Evergreen reached out to me. Said there¡¯s someone here that can fix it up for me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Drew.¡± Zarri answers. ¡°They told us the procedure may take some time, can you wait till morning? It¡¯s best for you to be well rested.¡±


    ¡°Sure. No problem.¡± He nods. ¡°How are you? Did you regain your powers?¡± He looks at Breeze.


    She gives him a smile. ¡°Nope. I¡¯m done. Percival was right. I only have enough mana to sustain my life. If I try anything ¨C I cough up blood again.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all you¡¯re telling him?¡± I look at her for a quick second.


    ¡°That¡¯s the main point, isn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Shame. I wanted to fight you.¡± He says and we laugh.


    ¡°Sorry to disappoint. Once your hand is fixed again, I can offer a friendly sparring match, would that be acceptable?¡± Zarri makes the pitch.


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll need to test the hand out anyway.¡±


    ¡°Great, that¡¯ll be fun to watch.¡± I grin at Zarri for another quick moment and turn back to the Ram. ¡°I gotta admit. It¡¯s surprising to see you as a parent.¡±


    ¡°She ain¡¯t mine.¡± Say what? We stare at the Warr. He catches our glares. ¡°Her mother was my friend. She died, so I took the girl in¡­¡± He stares at his glass. ¡°It was her dying wish. I couldn¡¯t say no.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Breeze says. ¡°How long ago was this?¡±


    ¡°Thirteen years.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t look any older than that.¡± I say.


    ¡°She¡¯s thirteen.¡± He nods. ¡°I barely made it back home to see my friend die a week later.¡±


    ¡°What happened? If it¡¯s ok to ask?¡± Zarri carefully questions our Ram.


    ¡°She got sick soon after the kid was born. By the time I got to her, the illness had spread too much. Even with the gold I brought back with me, I wasn¡¯t able to get her the meds she needed. The local healers said it was too late. Not even a Cleanser would have been able to save her.¡± He takes a gulp of his drink. ¡°Her dying wish was for me to take care of her kid. So, I have been¡­¡±


    ¡°What about the girl¡¯s father?¡±


    ¡°I killed him.¡± Jack answers me. ¡°She was raped. I split the guy¡¯s skull in half.¡±


    ¡°You must have loved the woman dearly.¡± Zarri smiles.


    ¡°She was a childhood friend of mine. I never really planned on having kids myself.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± I ask pouring him another glass.


    ¡°I¡¯m gay.¡± SAY WHAT? I stare at the Ram. Breeze¡¯s sudden burst of laughter shakes me out of it.


    ¡°Now it makes sense!¡± She says.


    ¡°What does?¡± I look at her confused.


    ¡°Back the Castle he said I wasn¡¯t his type. It kind hurt my feelings a bit.¡± She laughs again.


    ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s your reaction.¡± It dawns on me. ¡°Wait, were you and Rixa?¡± I ask hopefully.


    ¡°No. He knew, but it didn¡¯t bother him. So, we hung out together. That was all. He was dead set on her.¡± Jack points to my Zarri with his glass.


    ¡°Oh well, no worries, this is a judgement free zone.¡± Breeze finally gets herself back together.


    ¡°We married Glen with his boyfriend couple of years ago. As surprising as it is to hear it from you ¨C can¡¯t say I¡¯m shocked.¡± I lean back in my chair again.


    ¡°How has it been for you? Raising her, I mean?¡± Zarri asks me for a refill. I gladly pour it for her.


    ¡°A major headache.¡± I can¡¯t help, but laugh again.


    ¡°I missed those short answers.¡± I tell him.


    ¡°Percival¡¯s teachings really came in handy at first. After she got older it got worse¡­¡±


    ¡°Tells us about it¡­¡± I agree, sipping my drink.


    ¡°Is there anything we can help you with?¡± Breeze express her genuine concern.


    ¡°Get me my damn hand.¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡± Zarri answers.


    ¡°This is Drew.¡± I introduce our Ravo. ¡°He¡¯ll take it over from here.¡±


    ¡°Good morning.¡± The kid nods. ¡°Hope you are well rested. This will be a lengthy procedure. It will probably take us a few days if not longer.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. After dealing with her ¨C nothing can rattle me anymore.¡± Jack points to Tony. She sticks her tongue out to him.


    ¡°Mind clueing us in as you work?¡± Breeze asks the Druid.


    ¡°Not at all.¡± He shows Jack to his seat. A bunch of bones are laid out on the desk, forming a right hand. Some potions, tools and a pouch of Vines. Drew takes the longest bone and measures it against the healthy arm. He takes a file and adjusts the end a little.


    ¡°First, I will have to make an incision to expose the bone, as well as cut into it. That will be our starting point. I will use the bones here to reconstruct sir Jack¡¯s hand. That¡¯s step one. Once the bones are linked together and aren¡¯t rejected, I will have to build the hand itself, layer by layer using Vines. The nerves, the muscles, and the skin.¡± The boy takes a scalpel. ¡°Ready?¡± He asks our Ram.


    ¡°Evergreen train you?¡± He asks.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The Ravo answers.


    ¡°Then get to it.¡± Jack sets his stub on the desk. The kid nods and carefully slices open the arm. A vague light engulfs the blade. The Druid mumbles something quietly. No signs of pain on the Warr¡¯s face.


    ¡°What''s that light?¡± Xan asks.


    ¡°Some sort of a reinforcement spell, I''m guessing. It''s not easy to cut into the bone so delicately.¡± Zarri answers.


    ¡°Doesn''t it hurt?¡± He asks again.


    ¡°I''m assuming Drew has already cast a numbing spell.¡± I answer for the Ravo.


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Xan lets out. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to attach a real hand?¡± Xander persists, looming over to see better.


    ¡°Honey, please be mindful. Drew needs to concentrate.¡± Zarri speaks to our Eldest.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Reattaching the bone is quite simple.¡± The Ravo speaks to us without looking. ¡°Lady Evergreen did consider that possibility. However, there are a few issues with that.¡±


    ¡°Like?¡± Rei asks.


    ¡°One. The specimen needs to be fresh. Yes, freezing it is an option, but it has proved to be challenging nonetheless. Especially when finding the right fit to match the new limb to the rest of the body in regards to size, age and even color. Not to mention the right race." Drew explains.


    ¡°Make sense.¡± Ro agrees. ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°Attachment. If done wrong the new limb may eventually simply fall off. Of course, there is also the risk of rejection for a bunch of other issues. Wrong blood type, inherent traits, illness and such. Scanning through these and treating them would take too long. Bones, however, are simpler in that regard.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± I ask too.


    ¡°Well in general the bone structure differs very little between the four races. Making it easier to acquire fitting samples. It¡¯s kinda like a universal canvas.¡±


    ¡°Question.¡± Xan raises his hand up, but Drew doesn¡¯t see it, so I nudge him instead to continue. ¡°Where did you get the bones?¡± Ooh. Good one.


    ¡°Donors.¡± The Ravo answers blunt. ¡°Lady Evergreen has been working toward a system that would allow us to reuse organs, in cases where magic is not able to help. Bones included.¡±


    ¡°That the reason why it took her thirteen damned years to make this work?¡± Jack¡¯s been uncharacteristically chatty.


    ¡°More or less.¡± Drew answers quietly.


    ¡°Where she get the idea from?¡± The Ram asks.


    ¡°Cornutese Forbidden Magic, I¡¯m told.¡±


    ¡°Appreciate not turning me into a complete freak of nature.¡± The Warr mumbles. I giggle. Now it begins to make sense and why all of the secrecy.


    ¡°So who¡¯s this?¡± The Ram gestures to the skeleton lay out with his eyes.


    ¡°Male. Cornutese. Died tragically young.¡± Drew keeps his focus even with the questions flowing in.


    ¡°Sooo, how do you get the bones all clean like that?¡± Xander''s curiosity tops the rest of ours.


    ¡°Do you ever shut up?¡± Rei''s had enough. I giggle.


    ¡°Whaa?¡± Our Eldest lets out a single sound.


    ¡°Master Percival is to credit for this.¡± Drew answers calmly, without losing the focus on Jack''s arm. ¡°He used his research of the RRD to adapt the Malice to be friendlier.¡± He takes a moment. ¡°We are now able to use it in our Medical practice. With caution, of course.¡± The Ravo adds real quick, hearing Zarri take in a breath.


    ¡°Kid''s working hard still?¡± The Ram says.


    ¡°More than ever.¡± Breeze sighs.


    ¡°Why use bones at all? Can¡¯t you use the Vines only?¡± Ty asks, ignoring us. I smile.


    ¡°Been there, done that.¡± Jack answers.


    ¡°Meaning?¡± Xan questions the Ram¡¯s response.


    ¡°Unfortunately, the Vines are not almighty. They are more of a supporting nature. They can replace a bone in a limb, for instance, and will be quite effective, as long as the muscle stays strong. But.¡± The Ravo takes another bone fragment. ¡°We are talking about an entire structure, even if it is only part of the limb. Vines are simply too weak to sustain themselves. Bones are sturdier, so, using them as base should provide stronger ground to build the rest of the limb on.¡±


    ¡°Should?¡± Jack lowers his voice, giving the boy a suspicious look.


    ¡°We have only been able to run tests with animals.¡± The kid backs up a bit. ¡°Didn¡¯t the Lady inform you?¡± His face is losing color fast.


    ¡°She did mention something. I didn¡¯t quite bother understanding at the time. All I cared about is that there¡¯s a chance to have a hand again.¡±


    ¡°Well, provided all goes well, you will be the first human to have a successful limb replacement done to you.¡±


    ¡°Wait, is this your first time doing this?¡± Xan walks over closer.


    ¡°On a person ¨C yes.¡± Drew does not avert his gaze of Jack¡¯s stub not even once.


    ¡°Then how do you know if it will work?¡± Rei steps in too.


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± The Ravo doesn¡¯t even blink. ¡°I hope it will. The last tests seemed promising. Considering we were using a rabbit.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Xander¡¯s tone is not impressed.


    ¡°Unfortunately, yes. To my understanding sir Jack already had a complete Vine hand attached to him. Which, sadly, proved to be only partly effective. Now, we are able to conjure, say, a complete replica of an organ¡­¡± The kid pauses as he focuses on repairing the Ram.


    ¡°But?¡± I ask after a few moments.


    ¡°But it cannot perform the functions of the part in question, because it is not designed for it. All it is and can ever be is merely a replica made of wood.¡± Drew explains.


    ¡°Meaning that you can conjure a heart that will be made completely out of Vines, but it won¡¯t be able to pump blood.¡± Tyro voices his thoughts. ¡°Is that right?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡± Drew nods. ¡°That is exactly the main problem with Vines. They need something to be able to merge with. Because, as I mentioned before, they are of supporting nature. If there is nothing to lean on ¨C they fall.¡±


    ¡°So then how did Evergreen manage pull off making me a hand the last time around.¡± Jack asks.


    ¡°A hand is not a vital organ. What Lady Evergreen did was attach strings to the nervous system and provided coating for them in a shape of a hand.¡±


    ¡°Brilliant.¡± Our Youngest proclaims in the background.


    ¡°Quite so, yes.¡± The Ravo agrees. Now I understand why Laira conjured the outer shells only¡­


    ¡°So then am I correct to assume that what you are doing now, is connecting the bones together with Vines, like strings for a puppet?¡± Ty asks.


    ¡°Indeed, young master, you are correct. To be on the safe side we shall give the bones a few days to adjust, if there won¡¯t be any rejection, we will proceed onto the next step.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something I don¡¯t get.¡± Xan starts. ¡°How are you able to attach the bone to, well, the rest of uncle Jack?¡±


    ¡°Uncle?¡± The Ram looks up at our son.


    ¡°No?¡± Xan asks. Jack thinks about it.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t bother me.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Our Eldest grins proudly.


    ¡°The bones I have here, have already been prepared in advance. I made holes in them where the Vines will need to go through. Bones don¡¯t really move on their own. It is the muscle that moves the bone. However, since the two are intertwined, one does not work without the other.¡± Drew explains. ¡°As for the attachment directly to the rest of the body ¨C a simple matter of sewing the bones together with Vines.¡± He points to the tiny stitches.


    ¡°Vines are wood still. You can make a skeleton, but it won¡¯t produce any bone marrow. How are you able to deal with that? The bone has been technically dead.¡± Tyro¡¯s right on target.


    ¡°It makes me so proud watching them.¡± I tell Zarri.


    ¡°They are quick to pick up on things.¡±


    ¡°That will be for Illa to do. For the time being I am simply biting of pieces of the live marrow from inside the living bone and dragging it into the other bones with Vines. The pieces are microscopic right now. I¡¯ll kick start it after I finish, but Illa will be the one to really be able to tell how¡¯s the situation.¡±


    ¡°Is this because you weren¡¯t able to extract the marrow before the procedure?¡± Zarri beats our Youngest this time.


    ¡°Yes. In theory we should be extracting and implanting the marrow before reattaching the bones. You see, it appears that bone marrow is similar to blood. We are unable to use different marrow.¡± Drew¡¯s concentration and ability to multitask is astonishing.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it been safer to get the marrow now and wait a few days?¡± Rei makes a good point.


    ¡°We could have done that, yes, however, we¡¯ve reached the conclusion that once connected to a body, even through Vines, the marrow multiplies faster, rather than growing them separately.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡± Ro mumbles in the back.


    ¡°Tell me, did you experiment on yourself till you made it work?¡± Zarri enters Queen mode.


    ¡°Fortunately, no. The rabbit helped.¡± Drew answers with a smile.


    ¡°Lucky you.¡± Breeze lets up. ¡°I don''t want my people risking their wellbeing carelessly.¡±


    ¡°Tell that to Rixa.¡± Jack glares at Breeze.


    ¡°I apologize¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your sorry. Nor does he.¡± Jack adds.


    ¡°I am amazed how Drew is able to concentrate so well with all of us being here.¡± Rei cuts into the sudden tension.


    ¡°After the Rebirth ¨C nothing really fazes me¡­¡± The Druid says. ¡° I cannot even begin to comprehend who you were able to go in twice.¡±


    ¡°Neither do we.¡± Breeze answers.


    ¡°Is it really that bad?¡± Xan asks.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s worse.¡± Jack tells him. ¡°Tony?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± The girl answers from way over at the back.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been too quiet.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have what to say.¡± She answers.


    ¡°There. That¡¯s it for now. It will be weird for the time being, but it¡¯s only for a few days, tops. Try to bear it, but please, do remember to handle with care. If there won¡¯t be any signs of failure by tomorrow ¨C we¡¯ll continue.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Drew. Take the rest of the day off.¡± I see the boy trying to say something. ¡°We¡¯ll let you know if there will be any complications, of course.¡± I tell him. He nods.


    ¡°Does that mean that uncle Marcus has been through this too?¡± Xander asks, staring at the skeleton hand, dangling from Jacks arm, just below the elbow.


    ¡°Tallen? Something happen?¡± The Ram stares at me and Zarri.


    ¡°Oh, I suppose you wouldn¡¯t know. Marcus was in an accident, a year after we left? Give or take. His right side got crushed. The arm and the leg and some ribs too.¡± Breeze explains.


    ¡°Percival and the others put him back together with the help of Vines. It was rough, but he got used to his condition.¡± I add.


    ¡°I see. So why''d he pass up?¡± Jack holds his gaze.


    ¡°Apparently the Sir''s condition is too delicate. He''d need to be cut open through the entire length of his arm and leg. He said he''ll be fine as long he has Lady Evergreen watching over him.¡± Drew takes over. ¡°Your situation is more convenient for the procedure and is not life threatening.¡±


    ¡°Fair''s fair.¡± The Ram shrugs his shoulders. ¡°Then? What am I supposed to do with this till tomorrow?¡± He jangles the bones.


    ¡°Creepy...¡± Xan breaks and gets elbowed in the ribs by Rei. ¡°Sorry.¡± He lets out a sigh. I smile.


    ¡°Try not to break it.¡± Drew answers.


    ¡°Alright then, well, how about we let Drew rest already.¡± Zarri gets up first.


    ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t know about Ether then either?¡± It finally dawns on me.


    ¡°Who''s that?¡± Jack asks walking out.


    ¡°Marcus and Laira adopted a Cornutese boy. He''s about what? Seventeen now?¡± Breeze says.


    ¡°How''d that happen?¡± The Ram looks at us again.


    ¡°It''s a long story.¡± I tell him.


    ¡°What should we do for now then?¡± Xander asks us.


    ¡°Go train, maybe?¡± I suggest.


    ¡°Only if you guys gonna watch it!¡± He answers.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Why not.¡± Jack agrees. ¡°Can''t do anything else, apparently.¡± He waves the bones again.


    ¡°Score!¡±


    ¡°Where he gets that from?¡± The Ram questions us.


    ¡°Beats me.¡± Zarri plays dumb. We get out in the court yard.


    ¡°Who''s first?¡± Our Eldest hasn''t learned how to restrain himself yet.


    ¡°Pair up and then switch later. Don''t go too crazy.¡± I tell him.


    ¡°I''ll take the knuckle head.¡± Rei stretches her arms to warm up.


    ¡°Why do I get the shrimp?¡± Tony pouts.


    Jack hammers in a soft punch into the top of her head. ¡°Watch it.¡± The girl doesn''t seem too pleased, but doesn''t argue.


    ¡°I''m unpowered.¡± Tyro tells her straight out. ¡°I''ll try my best not to disappoint you.¡± Well now. The Warr gives us another look. Tony''s attitude changes on the spot. She takes up a fighting stance. So does Tyro. The other two seem to be curious too, so they step aside and give them space. Neither one moves. Tony breaks the stalemate with a series of kicks and punches. Tyro dodges them all, but doesn''t counter. Yet. Tony goes in for another round house and follows it up with a swing of her axe. Tyro dodges the kick and blocks the axe with his daggers. Tony jumps back. Tyro charges, blades swinging.


    ¡°Unpowered?¡± The Ram asks watching the kids go at it.


    ¡°My fault. He''s almost eleven. The power never kicked in.¡± Zarri answers.


    ¡°The others then?¡±


    ¡°Rei''s a Ravo Hunter and Xan''s a Fire Mage Assassin.¡± I answer that one.


    ¡°Your influence?¡± Jack looks at Breeze. She shakes her head.


    ¡°Glen''s and the other''s.¡±


    ¡°So yours.¡± Jack decides better. I chuckle.


    ¡°Technically he''s right.¡± I tell Breeze. Tyro evades another axe swing from above and presses the tip of his blade straight into Tony''s throat.


    ¡°Enough!" I call out. She''s pissed.


    ¡°She has a temper. That''s her one weakness.¡± Jack explains. ¡°Your kid, on the other hand. Impressive.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± Tyro bows in front of Jack. ¡°I''d love to learn more from you.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°He trains with different weapons. Perhaps once your arm is fixed?¡± Zarri suggests.


    ¡°We''ll see.¡± The Ram answers. ¡°Well?¡± He addresses our twins. Those two step inside the circle now. Reina doesn''t waste a moment more. She casts Vines from the ground, whipping through the air with them, going straight for Xan. Our Eldest dances with the Vines a little before slashing at them. Rei tries to keep him away from the bigger shadows. So far she has the upper hand. Xander flashes a fire wall between himself and Rei, obstructing her vision and keeping the Vines away from him.


    ¡°Interesting.¡± Jack watches our twins closely. Tony too, apparently. Xan shots out a firebolt barrage at Reina. She moves away, to get out of range. Xan''s wall drops and he''s nowhere to be seen. Rei circles back, with the Vines covering for her. A dagger clangs on the ground. She blocked it.


    ¡°Draw!¡± Breeze calls out with Xan''s blade by Rei''s throat and her Vines by his neck.


    ¡°Damn it! I thought I had her this time!¡± Xander pouts.


    ¡°Dream on.¡± Reina waves him off.


    ¡°Next time! Next time for sure!¡± Xan promises Rei. More like himself.


    ¡°Not bad for pups like yours.¡± Jack says.


    ¡°Is that a compliment?¡± I stare at the Warr.


    ¡°More or less.¡±


    ¡°Seems to be going well.¡± Illa examines Jack''s skeleton arm. ¡°You can proceed with the restoration.¡± Drew takes over from the Cleanser.


    ¡°This is the boring part now.¡± The Ravo tells the Ram.


    ¡°Less talking, more casting.¡± Jack answers and Drew gets to work. We watch the Vines shoot out from Jack''s flesh, slither over the bones, weaving themselves around and right through them, as if piercing the bone¡­ That¡¯s what he meant by ¡°preparation.¡± The Vines crawl out from every nook and cranny of the bones. The Druid keeps the casting and chanting. I watch his lips move without a sound.


    ¡°Vines do not require chants?¡± Rei breaks the tension.


    ¡°Correct, mistress.¡± Illa answers. ¡°Drew is chanting enforcement spells. Similar to Shamanic casting.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you need a few days to completely reconstruct the limb?¡± Ty pitches in too.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± The girl nods.


    ¡°I thought you need Enchanted Herbs for that?¡± Xan joins in as well.


    ¡°Lady Evergreen''s and Master Skyrider''s research found that it is possible to reinforce the Vines with Shamanic chants, without the herbs, because mana is already used to manipulate the Vines, making the Herbs unnecessary. However.¡± Illa takes a moment.


    ¡°I had a feeling there was a downside to this.¡± I crack.


    ¡°Yes. We are only able to use simple orders. Similar to Vile and Stone enchantments.¡± The Cleanser explains.


    ¡°Even so. That alone is enough to compensate for the fragile nature of the Vines.¡± Tyro disagrees.


    ¡°Huh.¡± Jack exhales.


    ¡°Something you''d like to share with us?¡± Breeze asks the Ram carefully.


    ¡°This the result of your nonsense or the kid''s effort?¡± Jack says and a burst of laughter comes out of my throat.


    ¡°Sorry. Couldn''t help it. Both, I''d say.¡± I quickly shut up.


    ¡°Guess so.¡± The Warr''s face remains indifferent.


    ¡°I expect him or Laira, but you too?¡± Zarri averts her gaze.


    ¡°Brought this on yourself, Druid.¡± Jack answers.


    ¡°Ok, what the heck are you people talking about.¡± Xan''s patience finally ran out.


    ¡°Nothing you need to worry about.¡± Breeze waves him off.


    ¡°Like Hell.¡± Xander mumbles.


    ¡°Uncle Jack wouldn''t happen to refer to the same "suicide mission", would he?¡± Rei''s voice speaks from the back. I grin again and quickly cover my face up with my hand.


    ¡°Ugh.¡± Zarri looks away again.


    ¡°You ever gonna tells us what''s it about?¡±


    ¡°Not you too!¡± Breeze turns around to Tyro. The three of them persist to stare at their mother.


    ¡°Ask your father.¡± She turns back to watch Drew work.


    ¡°Oh, I''m allowed to now?¡± I tease my wife.


    ¡°Do as you please.¡± She murmurs.


    ¡°Get a room.¡± Jack tells us and I laugh again.


    ¡°That will do for the day.¡± Drew says in a strained voice. ¡°Try moving it.¡± He points to the arm. It takes Jack a long moment to move the fingers.


    ¡°Huh.¡± He says. Slowly he moves the wrist too. ¡°I see. It''ll take a little getting used to. So? Now what?¡± He stares at the Ravo.


    ¡°We''ll continue tomorrow.¡± Illa says. ¡°Try not to use it much till the procedure''s over.¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡± Jack nods.


    ¡°Does that mean uncle Jack has free time now?¡± Xan jumps in.


    ¡°Probably?¡± The Ram looks at him. Our Eldest smiles.


    ¡°He he. Great! Then you can teach us some tips and tricks.¡± Xan takes the Ram''s hand and drags him towards the inner yard.


    "Oh this oughta be good, mind if we join you?" I tease the Warr.


    "Suit yourselves." He answers. Breeze and I smile at each other and follow them out. They line out with the Warrior in the middle of their little half circle.


    "So? What do you want to know then?" Jack stares the kids down.


    "Scary." Xan mumbles and gets elbowed in the ribs by Rei, as per their usual comic duo. Tyro raises his hand.


    "Yes."


    "Question. What does it mean to be unpowered for you? Why did you chose to fight?" Hoo. Breeze and I steal quick glances at each other.


    "First. That was two questions. If you gonna ask something - ask." Jack says annoyed. Tyro nods. "Two. I don''t really give a damn about powers. There are those who have them and those who don''t. Powers don''t make you any better of a person. There are people out there who have their powers and chose not to use them. It''s up to you to decide what it means to you. To me;" Ram shrugs his shoulders; "ain''t no difference."


    "Doesn''t it make it hard on you in a fight, though?" Xan asks too.


    "You ask as if I''m the first one you''ve seen manaless."


    "Well no, but, we wanna know how different people feel about it." Xan says.


    "We make it a point to ask these things anyone we meet." Rei seconds. Jack looks at us for a moment and sighs.


    "Listen. Manaless warriors are part of history. We may be a dying breed, but our roots are old enough. Magic did not spread like wild fire. Those who had it had no clue how to use it. Or it took them forever to figure out." Jack sits down cross-legged on the ground. Breeze and I take a seat on the bench next to them too.


    "This should be good."


    "Shush." Zarri squeezes my arm.


    The Warr speaks again. "It''s been a long standing tradition for Warriors or Knights to guard magic users."


    "Casters, you mean, right?" Xan cuts in and Jack throws a pissed off glare. Our Eldest quickly shuts up again.


    "Yes. Physical endurance wise, Casters were on equal terms with Warrs. But controlling mana does not come easy. In the beginning it took more effort so the Casters would tire themselves out too quickly." Jack''s not much of a talker. He keeps taking breaks. It''s fun watching him.


    "That''s why Casters needed Warrior protection." Tyro states loud and clear. The Ram nods.


    "Nowadays the Casters aren''t as fragile and some are able to take care of themselves just fine. But it''s no reason why we should quit either." The Warr takes a moment. "Some of us don''t have anything else besides fighting."


    "Is that why you continue to stand on the front lines?" Ro goes for it again.


    "He sounds different somehow." Zarri echoes inside my mind.


    "He takes what''s told to him quite seriously." I answer. Perhaps even too seriously, sometimes.


    "More or less." Jack shrugs again. "It aint cause I wanna carry on with traditions and whatnot."


    Xan raises his hand this time. "Yes?" Jack stares at the boy.


    "Would it be rude to call you a punching bag? Like I understand how CCs and Rams are good sparing partners and great weapon experts, but..."


    The Ram''s face rearranges itself into a deranged grin. "I can count on one hand all of the people that actually managed to make a punching bag out of me." He holds his good hand up. Xander swallows hard.


    "Noted." He nods.


    "Any other questions?" Jack says, eager to end this.


    "What''s the crucial factor when fighting a long range Caster?" Tyro hammers in again.


    "I like him this way. He doesn''t hold back." I tell Breeze.


    "He seems to be gaining confidence by the minute."


    "I''m guessing Jack''s attitude has something to do with it."


    "Get in up close as soon as possible. If your body''s faster than their casting - you can manage. Speed and agility are what you''d wanna focus on. That, or mow your way straight through. We done?" The Ram gets up, clearly not giving them another option. Our trio stands up too and bows.


    "Thank you very much!" They say all together.


    "You could learn from them." Jack tells Tony.


    "Tch." She snaps her tongue instead.


    Zarri gets up too. "Alright then, you guys are free till dinner. Run along now."


    "Ok-ay!" Xan smiles and they scatter. Tyro stops and waits for Tony.


    "Go on." Jack tells her. She stands up unrushed and drags her feet.


    "Thank you for doing this." I say.


    "With all the fighters here, don''t they know it all by now?" He stares at us.


    "You heard them. They make it a point to ask different people for their opinions." Breeze answers.


    "Still." The Ram hesitates. "The Fire Assassin. He get his attitude from you?" He glares at my wife. I can''t help, but chuckle.


    "More or less. I''d like to blame half of it on him too." She points her thumb back at me.


    "Yeah, really, they all are a mixed breed." I get myself together again.


    "I can tell." The Warr answers.


    "How''s Tony? Does she like it here?" Zarri steers the topic.


    "Not really. It''s too much for her to deal with. She ain''t used to crowded places."


    "Meaning she doesn''t handle people or places?" I give the man a look.


    "Have you been living isolated, then?" Breeze asks.


    "Not isolated. Just less of everything."


    "Is there anything we can help you with?" She says.


    The Ram hesitates. "Actually. One thing."


    "Are you blushing?" I stare at him. "Wait. You don''t mean?"


    "She''s a girl, I got no clue about those things. The Cleanser Kid only covered infancy." He snaps at me and I lose it again. Breeze slaps my chest with the back of her hand.


    "It''s not like you handled it any better." She looks back at the Warr. "I''ll ask Reina and Illa to take care of that for you. Perhaps that will help her warm up to us." Breeze says with a smile.


    "Appreciate it." He says. "Would you quit it, already. You''re pissing me off." Jack punches me in the shoulder.


    "Sorry sorry." I cover my mouth.


    "Pay no attention to the idiot." Zarri says, walking back inside.


    "Hey, wait up." I tell her. "Come on, I''ll pour ya a drink."


    "Finally." Jack walks next to me.


    ¡°Done.¡± Drew says, exhausted as ever. Jack stretches out the new arm. It took our Ravo three days to finish the restoration. ¡°I would, however, suggest a few days for adjustment and observation. I''d like to treat it, in case...¡± His strength slowly abandons him.


    ¡°Gotchya. Guess we''re staying longer.¡± Jack says.


    ¡°How does it feel?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Light.¡±


    ¡°Feel free to test it out.¡± Drew says. The Ram waits a moment and smashes the Vine arm into the marble desk.


    ¡°Well?¡± Zarri waits.


    ¡°Doesn''t hurt.¡± Jack looks the arm over again. ¡°Doesn''t look damaged either. Good work.¡± He tells the Ravo.


    ¡°You flatter me.¡± The Druid barely manages to smile.


    ¡°Can I touch it?¡± Xan leans in.


    ¡°Moron.¡± Rei hisses.


    ¡°What?¡± Xan looks back at her.


    ¡°Go on.¡± The Ram answers.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Xander shakes his hand. ¡°Huh. It doesn''t feel like skin, but it''s not woody either? More like freshly torn off inside of the bark.¡±


    ¡°May I?¡± Zarri extends her hand too. Like mother, like son¡­ I grin. The Warr doesn''t even blink and they too shake hands.


    ¡°What''s the potential of a Ravo using the arm against uncle Jack?¡± Tyro hammers in a crucial question. Piercing silence enters the room.


    ¡°50:50 I''d say.¡± Drew whispers. ¡°With enough mana it''s possible, however, Lady Evergreen foresaw the issue, so I cast a resistance spell on the Vines, as I conjured them. That should...¡±


    ¡°Mind if I?¡± Rei steps in.


    ¡°Try not to kill me.¡± Jack tells her. She smiles with a murderous look and tries taking control of the Vines. Her expression changes a few times. She let''s go.


    ¡°I exhausted one third of my mana and not a single budge. It ain''t worth the effort.¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear it.¡± The Ram grins. ¡°I get it now why it took her thirteen years.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Drew agrees.


    "Won''t the Vines wilt over time? Even with the layers the bones inside will eventually detach?" Reina makes a decent point. Drew manages to pull off an exhausted grin.


    "Correct, mistress. The Vines are too tiny, and so are the holes in the bones that we used to stitch them together. I used a Cleanser spell that mends bone fractures..."


    "Right. Cleansers can fix those, but are not able to grow a bone from thin air. So wait, you used that spell to blend the bones together were Vines were used to connect them?" Tyro takes over. Drew nods.


    "Doesn''t that threaten the Cleansers? If Ravo''s gonna start using their spells?" Xan steps in too. Our Druid shakes his head, more like sways with it.


    "We work in collaborations with the Cleansers. That''s the main idea." He takes a second. "Vines require extreme focus. The tinier they are..."


    "The more concentration the casting requires. Ravo''s are unable to divide their concentration between Vines and higher level spells." Rei hits the nail on the head.


    "Precisely. I am only able to use minor spells and enough focus to sustain them while working with Vines as well."


    "That''s nothing short of impressive." Zarri praises the kid again.


    "Thank you." He nods. Illa walks into the room.


    "We better get going then." I get up.


    ¡°I wanna fight uncle first!¡± Xan raises his hand.


    ¡°You''ve got to be...¡± Reina facepalms herself.


    ¡°I''ve been itching for this.¡± Xander grins.


    ¡°Might as well.¡± Jack stands up. ¡°Try and be a good warm up for me.¡± His eyes shift from Xan to Breeze.


    ¡°If you would, please, three days...¡± Drew cuts in. ¡°Then...¡±


    ¡°Aww.¡± Xan pouts.


    ¡°He gets that from you too.¡± I whisper to Zarri. She throws a glare at me.


    ¡°Can I at least work out?¡± Jack looks back at the Ravo. He nods.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± The Ram returns the nod.


    ¡°How about we celebrate first?¡± I suggest.


    ¡°Won''t mind that.¡± The Warr agrees.


    ¡°Alright, kiddos, step aside.¡± Breeze walks inside the circle. Jack follows her. Tony stares at my wife completely lost.


    ¡°You have to be kidding me. She''ll be snapped in two.¡± The girl declares.


    ¡°Watch it!¡± Xan puffs his chest out. ¡°Our mom kicks ass!¡± He announces.


    ¡°Tell me about it.¡± The Ram grins. As do I.


    ¡°Just shut up and watch.¡± Rei tells the girl.


    ¡°Move already.¡± The Warr pushes Tony with his foot to her ass. She walks over to us and lines up.


    ¡°She''s not as weak as you think.¡± Tyro whispers to the girl. I grin wider.


    ¡°Go get ''im, hun!¡± I cheer Breeze on.


    ¡°Go mom!¡± Xan follows my lead.


    ¡°Now now.¡± Zarri takes up her third favorite fighting stance, with the staff in hand and right behind her. Jack readies himself with his axes in place. I see where Tony picked the style from. I''m well aware the Ram isn''t limited to axes alone, but I guess everyone has their favorites.


    ¡°Ladies first.¡± Jack breaks the staring contest.


    ¡°Well then, don''t mind if I do.¡± Breeze charges in with a whirlwind. The Ram easily evades it. He swings at her, but she blocks each strike. He goes for the legs and gets blocked. Breeze jumps back, but the Warr charges in without stopping. He lands a kick right in the gut.


    ¡°You never go easy, do you?¡± She says, standing up.


    ¡°I''m not Rixa.¡± He waits. ¡°Besides. I know what a monster you really are.¡± Ha! He''s right about that. I notice Xander holding onto his left shoulder. Well now.


    ¡°Damn, guess you leave me no choice.¡± Breeze picks up speed and goes in for a frontal attack with kicks and swings, backing the Ram, a step at a time. He hammers down with both axes, towering over her. Breeze kneels and blocks them with the staff, but the reinforced wood snaps still. She quickly stands back up and uses the Ram''s leg as a stepping stone. Jack staggers in place, almost falling face first, while Breeze jumps over him, ramming the broken staff into the thick shoulders. She lands right behind the Warr, back-to-back. Breeze picks the Ram up by the newly installed handles on his back, using herself as a leaver, she kneels down and throws Jack, flat on his back.


    ¡°HELL YEAH!!¡± Xander shouts out. I grin with desire. Damn I love her.


    ¡°Nicely done.¡± I tell my wife.


    ¡°No way...¡± Tony exhales. Breeze walks over to the Ram and helps him sit up. Illa and Drew rush over to treat him.


    ¡°Well?¡± I ask Jack walking over to them.


    ¡°I fell for the oldest trick in the book.¡± He says. ¡°You used my strength against me. You went with the wooden stick on purpose.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps.¡± Breeze smiles. ¡°Disappointed?¡±


    ¡°Not with you.¡± He stares at the hand.


    ¡°Is it not working right?¡± Drew takes a look.


    ¡°The hand''s fine. Better than before for sure.¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear it.¡± The Ravo nods.


    ¡°You went easy on her!¡± Tony''s pissed. ¡°No way she beat you!!¡± Well well.


    ¡°I did not.¡± Jack admits.


    ¡°He really did not.¡± Breeze stumbles to her knees and blood drops come out through her fingers.


    ¡°Mom!¡± The kids surround us. Illa comes over too. Zarri waves her off.


    ¡°It''s fine. I expected as much.¡±


    Illa casts a few spells still. ¡°Just to be on the safe side.¡±


    Jack stares at Breeze without saying anything.


    ¡°Once a monster, always a monster.¡± She winks at him.


    ¡°Right. Are you done back there?¡±


    ¡°Almost.¡± Illa finishes patching the Ram up. ¡°There.¡±


    He moves his arms. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Told you.¡± Tyro says quietly to Anthona.


    The girl''s pissed still. ¡°Tch.¡± She turns around and runs off.


    ¡°We''ll get her.¡± Rei volunteers and runs after her. Tyro and Xan follower their sister.


    ¡°No fighting now!¡± Breeze calls out.


    ¡°Oook-ay!!¡± Xander waves back.


    ¡°She has a lot of respect for you.¡± I help Jack stand up.


    ¡°Or she''s just pissed that a girl kicked my ass since she hasn''t managed, yet.¡±


    ¡°So she''s prideful. Not necessarily a bad quality to have.¡± Breeze says.


    ¡°If only.¡± Jack says. ¡°It''ll get her killed one day.¡±


    ¡°Really now.¡± Zarri disagrees with the Ram''s attitude.


    ¡°Like you''re one to talk.¡± He throws a look her way. I laugh.


    ¡°Anyway. Think we''ll be leaving tomorrow morning.¡± Jack says.


    ¡°Sure about it?¡± I ask.


    ¡°It''s day five now. Seems to be all good. I can always come back if anything happens.¡± The Warr looks the arm over.


    ¡°Very well. Feel free to take whatever you need for your trip back.¡± Breeze says.


    ¡°Don''t mind if we do.¡± Jack smiles.


    All five of us see the two of them off the next morning.


    ¡°It may sound presumptuous of me, but, if you ever need anything.¡± Zarri says without finishing the thought.


    ¡°We''ll come back.¡± Jack gives her his right hand.


    ¡°Take care.¡± She shakes it.


    ¡°Jack.¡± I shake the Ram''s hand too.


    ¡°Assassin.¡± He nods to me.


    ¡°Safe travels.¡± Tyro wishes them. Tony squirms a little without saying a word.


    ¡°Oh screw this!¡± She says, walks over to Ty and hands him an axe. ¡°Here.¡± Tony blushes, staring away from our boy.


    ¡°I can''t...¡± Ro finally speaks.


    ¡°Just take it already!¡± The girl pushes the axe to him. He takes it and continues to stand there.


    ¡°Why?¡± Tyro manages to say.


    ¡°Payment! For everything.¡± Tony flares up bright red and turns around. Maybe if she had grown her hair out, instead of getting a boy cut, she could hide her embarrassment a little bit better.


    ¡°Whatchya standing there for! Let''s go!¡± She kicks Jack in the leg and jumps on her horse.


    ¡°Watch it, or I''ll break something of yours.¡± He tells her, nodding to us one last time.


    ¡°Allow us to escort you.¡± Glen comes over with Odri and Erin.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Jack agrees and they leave. Tyro remains standing, lost in thought. Xan''s grin couldn''t possibly get any goofier.


    ¡°Quit it. It''s creepy.¡± Rei elbows Xan.


    ¡°What''s your deal.¡± He brushes her off.


    ¡°She said she made them herself...¡± Ty whispers. ¡°Why''d she give me one?¡±


    ¡°Think of it as thanks. If it helps.¡± Zarri pats our Youngest on the head.


    ¡°If she made them, then she can always make new ones.¡± I add, trying to ease the pressure.


    ¡°You should take good care of it.¡± Rei tells him. ¡°It''s well made, after all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, bro, you should take good care of it. It''s a precious gift from your short-term girlfriend, after all.¡± Xander does not have the will power to resist teasing Tyro. Our Youngest quickly snaps out of his daze.


    ¡°That''s not it.¡± He hooks the axe under his belt, glaring at his idiot brother.


    ¡°Oh come on! She wouldn''t have given it to ya if she didn''t like ya.¡±


    ¡°It ain''t none of your business, either way.¡± Reina smacks Xan again. He dodges and grins again.


    ¡°The Hell it ain''t!¡±


    ¡°Drop it, Xan.¡± Tyro puts his foot down.


    Xander wants to argue, but shuts up instead. ¡°K.¡± He mumbles, slightly disappointed.


    ¡°If you all are done. May we please go back inside now?¡± Zarri asks, waiting for them.


    ¡°Sure sure.¡± Xan nods.


    ¡°Ugh.¡± Rei rolls her eyes at him. Breeze and I steal looks at each other and exchange smiles.


    ¡°Oh! Crile! You startled me.¡± I quickly grab a wash cloth and soak up the spilled water.


    ¡°Sorry. We can talk later then?¡±


    ¡°No no. It''s fine. I''m just getting dinner ready. Talk to me.¡±


    ¡°Jack and his girl left earlier this morning. Drew and Illa did great work. He seemed quite pleased with the upgrade.¡±


    ¡°Happy to hear it.¡± I smile to myself. Wait. ¡°HIS GIRL?¡± I hear him laughing through the Stone.


    ¡°He adopted a child. She''s quite the character.¡±


    ¡°Oh. That''s... Quite the surprise...¡± I feel like I''m being rude.


    ¡°Yeah, it sure was. But considering the circumstances.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°It was a last wish of a dying mother. He couldn''t refuse.¡±


    ¡°How tragic...¡±


    ¡°Yeah... Anyways, good job. Drew explained your plan to us. We wish you best of luck!¡± Crile tells me.


    ¡°Thank you... It''s not like I worked on this alone... Percy...¡±


    ¡°Percy helped. We know. Breeze will talk to him later.¡±


    I giggle. ¡°That the mother in her talking?¡±


    ¡°Possibly. How are you guys?¡±


    ¡°All''s good here. You?¡±


    ¡°Same.¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear it.¡±


    ¡°Well then. See you in two years?¡±


    ¡°See you in two years. Keep in touch!¡±


    ¡°You too.¡± Crile''s voice dies down again.


    ¡°What''s with the smile? Thinking of me?¡± Marcus wraps his arms around me from behind.


    ¡°Crile, actually.¡± I tell him.


    ¡°Crile!?" He jumps off me. I laugh.


    ¡°I just spoke to him. Jack''s arm was a success. He and his daughter left Astri earlier today.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it was a success! You came up with the whole thin¨C his DAUGHTER??¡±


    ¡°MHM. He adopted a girl. Tragic story, apparently.¡±


    ¡°How tragic?¡± He asks, sitting down.


    ¡°Last wish of a dying mother, tragic.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Marcus doesn''t say anything for another minute. ¡°Soooo the procedure went well, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Drew and Illa really came through for me. I wish I could have been there, but if Jack''s happy then so am I.¡± I turn around to my husband. ¡°You sure you don''t want to?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I''m not about to pass up on a beautiful and sexy private nurse.¡± He winks at me.


    ¡°DAA-AD!¡± Ether walks in from the living room.


    ¡°What? What I say?¡±


    ¡°Grow up, already...¡± Our son, age seventeen, and still gets embarrassed easily.


    ¡°Hey, you should be happy that your dad can still make your mom plenty happy at his age!¡± Marcus declares proudly. Oh brother... I roll my eyes.


    ¡°Ugh... Don''t you get embarrassed saying those things out loud?¡± Ether mumbles.


    ¡°Why should I!¡± Marcus disagrees. Your mom''s hella hot and that''s a fact. Nothing to be ashamed off!¡± Right.


    ¡°How was the training?¡± I ask quickly to change the subject.


    ¡°I went easy on him.¡± Ether says. ¡°Considering his age and condition, I mean, between combat and you, well, can''t win ''em all...¡± I have difficulty containing my laughter. I throw a quick glance at our smartass son. He sits there, grinning proudly. Hold up.


    ¡°What is that?¡± I put the knife down and walk over to him.


    ¡°I fell.¡± Ether lies to me on the spot. I take a look at his ripped shoulder.


    ¡°Fell my ass!¡± I give him a head chop. ¡°Honestly, must you two be so reckless.¡± I start casting.


    ¡°It''s no big deal! I get worse injuries during training!¡± Ether pouts. ¡°Ouch.¡± He twitches.


    ¡°Hold still then!¡± I resume casting. ¡°What do you mean "worse?¡± I glare at the side of his face.


    ¡°It''s called the Army, mom...¡±


    ¡°I''ve never seen you with anything more than a few bruises.¡±


    ¡°That''s because I take care of everything before you see them...¡± He confesses to me quietly.


    ¡°And this?¡± I finish fixing the gash up. Ether mutters something. ¡°Speak up.¡±


    ¡°I ran out of mana before I could fix it...¡± He admits. I sigh.


    ¡°I don''t want you getting hurt. That''s all.¡± I hug him to me. He''s gotten so big...


    ¡°I know.¡± He whispers, tapping me on the arm.


    ¡°Ok, go wash up, dinner''s on its way.¡± I ruff his hair up.


    ¡°Roger that.¡± Ether dashes out of the kitchen. I turn around and smack my husband on the back of the head.


    ¡°What was that for?¡± He stares at me. I don''t answer.


    ¡°Oh, Laira please. Really. He''s seventeen. Almost to be eighteen. In the old times he''s old enough to be married with kids by now! He''s a man! And a soldier in training. That scratch is nothing to him.¡±


    ¡°Ugh! "He''s a man!" Must be nice to have a universal excuse for every stupid thing that you MEN do!¡± I crash the knife down through the meat with a loud chop. ¡°THESE aren''t the "old times" either! He''s just a boy... Our boy...¡±


    ¡°Sweetness...¡± Marcus hugs me from behind again. ¡°He knows how to take care of himself.¡±


    ¡°Doesn''t mean I can stop worrying!¡±


    ¡°Of course, not... But you know what...¡± Marcus pauses. I shake my head. ¡°It''s really fun watch him grow and become stronger than yesterday... It fills me with such pride and joy...¡±


    I smile. ¡°Can''t argue there...¡±

 20. The Guest and the Uproar

    ¡°My Lords, there''s someone who wishes to see you.¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡± I ask, cuddling up with Breeze.


    ¡°Someone from Araneum. They refuse to say more. A Primerian woman.¡±


    ¡°Let her pass.¡± Zarri stretches out, sitting up. ¡°We''ll meet up in the throne hall.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± Glen disappears.


    ¡°Know who it is?¡± I ask her, glancing over her figure...


    ¡°No clue.¡± She leaves the bed. I follow her silhouette. ¡°Do you remember when was the last time we had a visitor from over there?¡±


    ¡°Good point.¡± I get up and help her dress.


    ¡°I can handle a few laces by myself.¡± She whispers.


    ¡°Don''t spoil my fun for me.¡± I bite a lace.


    ¡°Get that thing under control, please, no need to scare people.¡±


    ¡°It has a mind of its own.¡± I pull some pants on, very much uncomfortably.


    We enter the throne hall. A young Primerian woman stands surrounded by our elite guard.


    ¡°Welcome to Astri. To what do we owe the honor?¡± Zarri stands a step below the marble desk, with me right beside her. Our guards thin out a little.


    ¡°My lords, allow me to be blunt. I am here to beg for forgiveness.¡± She bows to us on her knees. I look at Zarri. What the?


    ¡°Ruby.¡± Breeze walks over to the woman. ¡°A Queen does not grovel. Stand up.¡±


    ¡°I''m no queen. I¡¯m simply a child, trying her best to right the wrongs of her foolish father.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the most likely heir to the Concords throne.¡± Oooh riiight. ¡°Rise.¡± The girl stands up, but keeps her gaze to the ground.


    ¡°Has Tahon sent you here?¡± I walk over closer, gesturing to our fighters to disappear.


    ¡°No. I am here on official business. Well. I am supposed to be visit the Founding Nations as part of my diplomatic mission. As well as making known that I shall be taking over the Rebirth Research Division.¡± Ruby tells us. Hold up.


    ¡°Pardon?¡± It only takes a heartbeat for Zarri to get into her Queen mode. Ruby blinks fast.


    ¡°Pardon. I meant to say I will be taking over from my Father as its overseer.¡± The girl scrambles to make the correction. Good call. Breeze loosens up a bit.


    ¡°I take it the Research will continue?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I shall see to it. You have my word.¡± The girl holds Breeze¡¯s glare. Well now. A staring contest between Queens. Intriguing.


    ¡°I imagine that is not all, you''ve come all this way for?¡± I get in on the action too.


    ¡°No. Please, allow me to apologize again. I wish to make amends for my father¡¯s actions. If it is at all possible.¡± Ruby adds quickly there at the end.


    ¡°Considering the fact that all ended well, I see no point in groveling now.¡±


    ¡°We do appreciate the gesture, though.¡± I second Zarri.


    ¡°I see. Then may I, please, extend my deepest condolences, for the late Lady Emerald.¡± Ruby says with her eyes down again. Breeze gets in real close to the woman.


    ¡°Is that why you stand here alone?¡± Zarri asks Ruby, almost growling.


    ¡°Who else knows?¡± I take a step forward too. The shadows get restless. Easy now.


    ¡°Only I.¡± Gotta say, the girl does a damn good job holding her ground against my crazy wife.


    ¡°Was it Laira who helped you figure it out?¡± Breeze keeps her eyes on Ruby.


    ¡°Yes. But. All she said was what I''ll find my answers here. Regardless of my official business, I stand alone here before you, unarmed, with my guards left behind at the inn for a reason.¡± The girl stands tall as she speaks. ¡°I was not sure what would await me, but seeing you, I can tell¡­¡± She pauses again. ¡°I would have come here to apologize regardless of who it was upon the throne. I feel it is my responsibility. Whether I like it or not, he is my father. However. Lady Emerald did save my life. I never forgot that.¡± The girl has guts. Keeping her eyes locked with Zarri''s like that.


    ¡°Appreciate the respect.¡± My wife''s emotionless. ¡°I recall you are here on official business?¡± She quickly changes the topic. Rather, forces it.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ruby answers.


    ¡°Well. If that''s the case. Then might I suggest discussing the matter with the future generation of Noxanda, instead.¡± Breeze says. ¡°Show yourselves!¡± She calls out. A shadow elongates and three figures come into view.


    ¡°How''d you know?¡± Xan asks, pouting a little.


    ¡°Don''t underestimate me.¡± Zarri winks. ¡°Please. Step forward.¡± She gestures to our trio. Xan goes first.


    ¡°Xander Stardust Shadowkill.¡±


    ¡°Reina Stardust Shadowkill.¡±


    ¡°Tyro Stardust Shadowkill.¡±


    ¡°Ruby of Araneum.¡± The girl curtsies. ¡°An honor.¡±


    ¡°The pleasure''s all ours.¡± My genes clearly seep out of Xan. I''ll never hear the end of this...


    ¡°Ruby is here to strengthen the relationships between Existara and the Original Nations.¡± I quickly grab the chance to cut into the silence.


    ¡°We suggest you make yourselves acquainted. For the sake of Noxanda''s future.¡± Zarri adds.


    ¡°Mission accepted!¡± Xan winks.


    ¡°Miss, if you would please, follow us.¡± Tyro takes the lead, properly. Rei remains on her guard as usual. We watch the kids leave the hall. I sit down in the chair and take Breeze into my lap.


    ¡°Well? Think she''s the genuine article?¡±


    ¡°Hard to say.¡± Zarri puts her arms around my neck. ¡°I can''t track her vitals anymore... It makes this somewhat difficult...¡±


    ¡°That''s why you sicked someone on her who can?¡±


    Breeze kisses me tight. ¡°You know me so well.¡± She whispers. ¡°Yes and no. Emerald did save her when she was a child. So.¡±


    ¡°But?¡± I ask her neck.


    ¡°But this is Tahon we''re dealing with.¡±


    ¡°There we go. You don''t trust her.¡±


    ¡°No. I don''t. But I can''t let my mistakes get in their way either.¡±


    ¡°So you bite your pride and hope she''s not a fraud.¡± I gaze into her eyes.


    ¡°More or less.¡± Breeze murmurs. ¡°Laira never said a word about this to me.¡±


    ¡°You know her. She probably wasn''t sure about anything. I''m more surprised that lunatic let his daughter leave in the first place.¡±


    ¡°True. Doesn''t mean I can''t be bothered by it.¡± She pouts. I giggle. ¡°Well?¡± A shadow emerges from the floor and a kneeling Glen appears again.


    ¡°Nothing. It appears she was telling the truth. Her attendants wait for her at the Inn as we were told.¡±


    ¡°Make sure it stays that way.¡± I tell him.


    ¡°Crank up the sweeps too.¡± Zarri barks.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Glen slithers away again.


    ¡°What are we afraid of, exactly?¡±


    ¡°I''m supposed to be dead... Even if Noxanda was closed off to the outside world due to my selfish acts, it''s best to leave Deathbreeze Skyrider and Gazaria Stardust separated..."


    ¡°Entire Noxanda is full of yous? Was it?¡± I whisper into her ear. She glares at me. I smile. ¡°You''re not the only attraction in the world...¡±


    ¡°Oh? Have you finally found someone to replace me with?¡± She squints at me, mockingly. I bite her shoulder.


    ¡°Don''t. Start.¡± I rumble the words out, with her shoulder in my mouth. A quiet moan.


    ¡°Look who''s talking...¡± She traces my jaw, down to my neck.


    ¡°Come on, Ty! What''s the hold up!¡± I barge into his room and freeze, hanging on the door knob with my jaw to the ground.


    ¡°Pardon the intrusion!¡± My body moves before my brain registers. I quickly shut the door and stand in the hall with my back against the wood. Me and my damned luck¡­ How the hell I¡¯m the one that ends up in these situations¡­ Again¡­


    ¡°We were told that Ruby hasn''t been seen since last night.¡± Mom''s voice pierces my racing thoughts.


    ¡°Tyro hasn''t shown himself either, yet.¡± I hear them coming over. Move, you!


    ¡°Ah! My family! Tyro said to start without him!¡± I come to greet them with arms wide open as all three of them turn the corner.


    ¡°What''s all this all of a sudden?¡± Dad stares at me.


    ¡°I missed you guys! Come on, let''s go!¡± I try to steer them away from here.


    ¡°Right.¡± Mom doesn''t buy my fast-act.


    ¡°Ugh. Remind me again, how are we related, exactly? Rei''s not impressed either. Not that she ever is...


    ¡°Oh you''re related, alright.¡± Dad says. ¡°I should know. I was there.¡± He grins with a proud, self-satisfied grin. I wanna say something here, so baad. I fight the urge to make the comment.


    ¡°Step aside already.¡± Rei pushes me away. I quickly step backwards and get in her face again.


    ¡°Wh..where are you going? Kitchen''s this way!¡±


    ¡°Xan. It''s too early for this.¡± She glares at me. It''s noon, though. I keep the stupid grin on me.


    ¡°Move.¡± She side steps me again, ramming me into the wall.


    ¡°Ah! Wait!¡± I call after her and the door to Ty''s room opens. Rei stops and stares. I turn my gaze too. Ruby show''s herself, freezing for a moment and quickly going into the other room, across the hall. Ro shows himself to us too, with pants on only and shuts the door back, leaving the rest us stunned.


    ¡°Oh that STUPID child...¡± Mom covers her face with her hand. Dad''s clearly fighting between a grin and a frown.


    ¡°So he hooked up with a girl? Big deal?¡± I shrug my shoulders.


    ¡°Sadly, it is a big deal.¡± Dad says. ¡°She''s the most likely candidate to succeed Araneum''s throne. Even if this is where it ends, it poses a threat still.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Well one, her father ain''t exactly what I''d call stable. Who knows what he''d might come up this time.¡± Dad says.


    ¡°This time?¡± I ask and get ignored.


    ¡°Two?¡± Rei cuts in.


    ¡°Two. It would put the power scales out of balance. After the discovery of Existara great conflicts followed suite. Nobody could agree on who the new land belongs to or how it should be divided.¡± Mom explains. ¡°Eventually, by a miracle, I guess, it was agreed on it being mutual ground between the Four Nations. Araneum was founded and declared a Royal City by selection. Not by inheritance.¡±


    ¡°More like a Royal pain in the ass.¡± Dad adds and I catch a giggle and Rei''s glare. I clear my throat and let the Parents continue. ¡°That didn''t mean that the problems ceased right there and then. Expeditions were needed to explore the land. Settlements to be made. All that jazz. The Rebellion''s shenanigans didn''t help either.¡±


    ¡°Some time later the Rebirth came to be too and that brought a whole lot of new problems. To this day the Araneum''s throne is selected by some sort of a tournament or vote. It''s a very rare occasion when an heir is born.¡± Mom takes over from Dad.


    ¡°Ruby here is something that hasn''t happened in generations. If she truly intends on taking on the throne then Tyro''s hook up could mean catastrophic consequences, and not for us only.¡± Dad continues where Mom left off.


    ¡°Like your father said, even if this ends here, it would be enough for other nations to catch a mere hint of this to spark outrage and conflict, with our land, yet again...¡± Mom dies down.


    ¡°Meaning that they would suspect Noxanda of trying to increase our political reach and weight. Right now we have the Four Nations here and Concord as a mix, an alliance of sorts, between us. Rebellion is a mess, so nobody''s worried about them. However. If one of the Nations here would tip the scales in their favor, it would throw the entire Land of Race and the New Continent into disarray, as the other three would try to even things out?¡± Rei makes a statement rather than a question. Guess it is a big deal, after all...


    ¡°Exactly like that.¡± Dad agrees.


    ¡°There''s a reason why upon the establishment of Concord it was agreed between the Original Nations that no marriages between nations would take place. Not between us here, nor with Araneum. Well. The Rebirth has made it easy for that last part.¡± Mom adds quick.


    ¡°Damn.¡± The word slips out.


    ¡°Yeah. I''d like to tell him ¡°well done,¡± but really, I can only handle one war threat in a lifetime...¡± Dad says.


    ¡°War threat?¡± Rei''s eyes turn murderous instantly. She honestly scares me sometimes.


    ¡°Long ago, Ruby''s father twisted my arm for his, more or less, personal affairs. He mentioned something along the lines of waging war against Noxanda if I refused.¡± I notice Dad''s arm wrap itself around Mom. His eyes are the same as Reina''s now. So that''s "this time"...


    ¡°I''m guessing it never came to be?¡± Rei says.


    ¡°We managed.¡± Dad answers.


    ¡°Queen? If you would, please?¡± I turn to where the voice comes from. Ruby stands in her doorway. Blushing.


    ¡°Show time.¡± Mom says and goes over to her. A moment later I look back at Dad as the door closes.


    ¡°Question. How does Araneum have a King then, exactly? What''s the purpose of that?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Guess even you have a brain, sometimes.¡± Rei''s at it again. Usually, I''d have a snappy comeback, but not now.


    ¡°Well. The thing is, the title of the King isn''t something that came to be right from the start. For the longest time "the King" used to be called a War Chieftain. That too, only started after the first Rebirth happened in the distant past. The Royal City has a Council and the Congress. At first the Congress was simply a gathering of the Four Nations, so that Existara could be overseen as equally and fairly as possible.¡± He says. I feel like there''s a, but coming in.


    ¡°But?¡± Reina catches on too.


    ¡°But two things happened to change that.¡± Dad answers.


    ¡°Lemme guess, one would be the Rebirth?¡± I cut in. He nods.


    ¡°So what''s the other one?¡± Sis asks. The corners of dad''s lips climb up and stop.


    ¡°Your Mother.¡± He tells us proudly.


    ¡°Say again?¡± We stare at him.


    ¡°Technically, only the previous King Bellkehm was the first King Araneum ever had. Till then they''d pick the strongest warrior to lead the fighters into the Castle of Despair.¡±


    ¡°Lovely name.¡± Rei whispers. No kidding. Even though we grew up hearing it...


    ¡°It was the Council''s job to present candidates to the Congress. If the geezers couldn''t agree by voting, they would decide with a competition. Having the War Chieftain''s tittle bestowed upon you was the same as receiving a Death sentence, considering.¡± Dad explains.


    ¡°So? Where does Mom fit in?¡± Sis beats me to it.


    ¡°It''s a long story.¡± Dad smiles.


    ¡°Give us the main point?¡± I try.


    ¡°It''s difficult to say. Lots was happening at the time. But we kinda made friends with the previous King. On top of that, he took a liking to Breeze, almost like a daughter. One thing led to another and your Mother was announced the War Chieftain. One of the youngest too. That did not sit well with anyone.¡±


    ¡°Only that?¡± Rei glares at Dad. He smiles again, his eyes lost in the sea of memories.


    ¡°Nah. But anyways, that''s the story. More or less.¡±


    ¡°So what does the King do then?¡± I go for it again.


    ¡°Nothing, for the most part. The King is only needed for matters of Rebirth. That topic is the only one that the Congress goes 50:50 versus the King slash the War Chieftain. The King can present ideas and the Congress can block them and vice versa.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point to the king then?¡± Rei goes for it too.


    Dad shrugs his shoulders. ¡°Not much. When you put it like that. It used to be more strategic. Although, these days you can''t tell anymore. I guess Tahon used Rebirth as his main excuse for a bunch of changes. I can''t say that I ever paid attention to those things before, but it kinda became clear later... So right now, his reach has extended, somewhat? But the rest remains as it always was.¡±


    ¡°Meaning?¡± I ask.


    ¡°If someone from outside of the Advisors, Council or the Congress wish to voice their ideas about anything, they must go through the Council first. Those geezers are forever busy for anything.¡± I pick up a hint of contempt. ¡°Well now.¡± I follow Dad''s gaze. Tyro walks up to us. Fully dressed this time.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Have anything to say?¡± Dad stares our Youngest down.


    ¡°Guilty as charged. I''m not as naive as to claim ignorance. I''m, no, we, are fully aware of the situation and how grave the consequences might be.¡± Wow. Spoken like a true King. I smile. Rei''s not hiding her admiration for our little brother either. I smile double.


    ¡°Where''s Mom?¡± Ty asks.


    ¡°In there.¡± Reina points to the door behind him.


    ¡°Show time.¡± I say and go over to the blushing maiden. I walk pass her, she closes the door behind me. A long moment passes slowly by, till Ruby manages to stand in front of me. I wait.


    ¡°I. I have no excuse.¡± She says looking right at me.


    ¡°I don''t expect you to justify your actions. I am not your mother, after all. However. I do wish to know whether or not you comprehend the situation you have put all of us in.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I do. For that I deeply apologize. However.¡± She straightens out more. ¡°You have nothing to worry about. My father will never know of this.¡±


    ¡°How sure can you be?¡±


    ¡°I''m not. But even if he would come to learn of this by chance, I can stand my ground. I do not wish to cause the Stardust Shadowkill family any more trouble than we have already. Besides...¡± She mumbles, somewhat pouting, but bites her tongue instantly. I wait a short moment.


    ¡°Besides?¡±


    ¡°It''s not like he cares about anything besides the stupid Rebirth anyways... Especially now... The older he gets the more insufferable he is... I mean really, if I hadn''t suggested taking over the RRD he would have let me rot in that stupid Palace!¡± She flares up, causing me to smile. ¡°It''s all he ever talks about!! Ugh! Oh!¡± She quickly shuts up. I chuckle silently.


    ¡°You look just like your mother.¡± I tell her softly.


    ¡°You knew my mom?¡± Ruby takes a step forward, eyes full of hope. I smile again with a hint of sadness.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I have only ever had the privilege of dealing with your father.¡± Her eyes die down again. ¡°However.¡± She shifts her gaze to me again, just a little.


    ¡°You look nothing like your father, except for the eyes. That''s why I said that.¡± She smiles shyly.


    ¡°I never knew her... I was told she died. Well, that''s what he said. Later I found out she was a maid that babysat me for a bit...¡± Ruby''s eyes change once again. As somewhat royalty, she sure has a good grip on her poker face. The eyes alone giver her away.


    ¡°I might be able to understand your longing feeling to know the other half of yourself, from which you come from.¡± I tell the girl. She hesitates a moment longer.


    ¡°Allow me to apologize.¡± She bows again.


    ¡°Apology accepted.¡± I pause. ¡°I would though, have one request.¡± She looks back up at me. ¡°I must ask you to leave. Today.¡±


    Ruby''s face turns to stone. ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Appreciate the understanding.¡± I bow my head to her as well. ¡°We shall assist you, should you need anything for your trip.¡± I add walking toward the door.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I stop with my hand on the knob. ¡°One last thing.¡± I feel conflicted enough, but I can''t pass up this opportunity. I look back at Ruby. ¡°How was he?¡±


    I see the confusion flush over her. Eyes gleaming. Lips pressed together. A gulp of air caught in her chest. She fidgets with her hair, face red as a flame. A nod is all I get and it is all I need. I leave the room. Least his insecurities haven''t gotten in the way there. I close the door and see a pair of six eyes staring my way. Crile''s grinning. Xan and Rei wait for me to make the first move and Tyro''s unreadable. I walk over to them.


    ¡°That''s not exactly what I had in mind when I said you should get to know her better.¡± I glare at our Youngest. He quickly straightens out and bows.


    ¡°Please accept my deepest apologies, if you can.¡± He remains bent over. I exhale.


    ¡°Instead of your apology, I''d rather you didn''t do something that would require you to grovel at my feet...¡± I pat his head. He straightens out.


    ¡°It was our mistake as your parents and as rulers for not making the boundaries clear. Besides. You''re seventeen. I expect you to make mistakes.¡± I smile at our little one.


    ¡°I''m sorry...¡± He says like he''s four again.


    ¡°You''re lucky you''re good, apparently.¡± I give into my urge to tease Tyro. Crile roars with laughter. Tyro blushes and looks away. Xan and Rei are getting there...


    ¡°Of course he is!¡± My idiot husband says proudly over his laughing fit. ¡°He takes after me!¡± Another roar. Oh brother...


    ¡°Ah, know I see the resemblance...¡± Rei looks away in disapproval.


    ¡°Wait. WAIT WAAIT. Hold up!¡± Our Eldest finally puts the picture together. He throws his arm around his brother¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You gotta let me in on your secrets!¡± He grins just like his father...


    ¡°Get off me.¡± Tyro glares at Xander.


    ¡°Idiot.¡± Rei never misses a chance to remind her twin that.


    ¡°Nah, you and I have a ton to talk about.¡± Xan persists. Reina grabs his other arm and forces Xander to his knees.


    ¡°Rei, sis, ow ow ow, REI! ALRIGHT! SHEESH!¡± She lets her brother go. I offer him a hand. Xan takes it and gets up.


    ¡°Well, shall we get back to breakfast then?¡± Crile makes way for me between Our kids. I step forward and take my husband''s elbow. Our trio line up to follow us. Ruby joins us, fashionably late. Everyone pretends not to care about what happened. The kids keep pampering the girl with offers of our cuisine, places to see, things to try. It feels unreal watching our children this way. I wonder, would I have been able to make this happen sooner if I had done things differently? Or is it because of how everything happened that we are able to be like this now? No matter how much I think about it, I never remember thinking that a picturesque scene as this was ever possible for me to achieve... Nothing is set in stone, and yet it feels like this was destined to be... We have the kiddos see Ruby off a little bit later in the afternoon.


    ¡°Well? What do you think?¡± Crile asks them.


    ¡°She''s cool.¡± Xan shrugs his shoulders with his arms behind his head. ¡°We already know Tyro''s opinion.¡± He teases his brother.


    ¡°She seemed honest.¡± Rei cuts in. ¡°Or at least I wasn''t able to tell that she was lying. So she''s either well trained or truthful.¡± Her father''s cold and calculated way of thinking is evident in her blood.


    ¡°We''ll see.¡± I glance Tyro over again. ¡°Tyro, dear. May we talk for a bit?¡± His face quickly turns to ice.


    ¡°Of course, Mother.¡± His tone is too cold.


    ¡°Walk with me.¡± I get up and get out on the terrace. Ty comes over to me. He stops a little bit away from me. I pat the stone rail next to me.


    ¡°I''m not about to execute you, I simply want to talk.¡± I tell him. He hesitates and comes over.


    ¡°Well? What do you think of Ruby? Be honest, please.¡± I ask, gazing over the side view of the Statue.


    ¡°She''s amazing.¡± A whisper. ¡°It was the first time I was able to discuss things in such depth...¡±


    I smile. ¡°You like her?¡±


    A nod. ¡°A lot...¡± Ro keeps his gaze to the ground.


    ¡°I''m sorry, honey.¡± He looks up at me. I keep staring at the Statue. ¡°I''m sorry that yet again I am the one to screw things up for you. If you weren''t, if we weren''t what we are, then perhaps you would have had a chance to live your lives the way you wished.¡±


    ¡°Mom, that''s not it.¡± Ty puts his hand on mine. ¡°It was one night. I liked it, but that doesn''t mean that we could have gone into something more than that. Besides, there¡¯s no telling if I would have met her otherwise, so...¡± He stops from my gaze.


    ¡°You don''t need to pretend to be all grown up.¡± I slip my hand from under his palm and put it on his cheek. ¡°Just because you understand the situation you are in, does not mean you need to like it or be happy about it.¡± I tell him softly. Tiny drops glisten on his face. I hug my boy to me and place my head on his. I took away his powers and now I take away his freedom. What a sorry excuse for a mother I turned out to be...


    ¡°HE DID WHAT!!!¡± I hear Dad laughing his ass off, walking back upstairs from the cellar.


    ¡°Wanna tell me what happened?¡±


    ¡°Oh, hey there, what''s up?¡±


    ¡°Don''t dodge the question, I know you heard me.¡± I put my bag on the table. ¡°Mom said she''ll be late a bit. Looks like you''re cooking tonight.¡±


    ¡°Oh? That hasn''t happened in a while. Huh? Oh, Ether''s back. Sure. Crile says hi.¡± Dad tells me, setting the jars on the table too.


    ¡°Hiya back.¡± I nod, washing my hands. He takes a moment to say goodbye and returns back to this reality. ¡°Well?¡± I ask again.


    ¡°Oh nooo. You ain¡¯t getting anything out of me.¡± He grins.


    ¡°You do realize I''ll find out about whatever that was?¡± I look at him.


    ¡°I know. That''s why I''m not telling.¡± We rustle for the dishes to get started on dinner. ¡°Got everything you need?¡±


    ¡°Yup. I''d like to leave tomorrow.¡±


    He shrugs his shoulders. ¡°Fine by me.¡±


    ¡°I figured you''d be happier having the place to yourselves again.¡± I give him a smirk. Dad grins silly again.


    ¡°Oh shush you.¡± He jabs me to the side.


    I notice him staring at me. ¡°What it is?¡±


    ¡°When did you get so big?¡±


    ¡°Ain''t my fault you shrunk.¡± I tease him and get jumped, he puts his hands around my neck and ruffs me up.


    ¡°Daad! DAD! GET OFF!¡± I try to shake the man off.


    ¡°I''ll show you shrunk!¡± He persists.


    ¡°What''s all this about?¡± Mom walks in.


    ¡°Oh hey, lovely, figured you''d be late?¡± Dad holds me down in the headlock.


    ¡°Luck you my hands are full.¡± I mutter. ¡°Hi, Mom.¡±


    ¡°I managed to get what I need early. Here.¡± She sets a pouch down. ¡°Take them with you and this too.¡± She sets another bag on the table. Full of scrolls. I sigh.


    ¡°Gotchya. Do you mind!¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± Dad smiles at me again and let¡¯s go. A shriek outside reaches us.


    ¡°Looks like the dragons are back.¡± Mom says, helping us.


    ¡°I wonder if it''s alright for me to take Storm with us?¡± I ask.


    ¡°The kid''s big enough now. Meteor should be able to handle him. Besides. We''ll be here.¡± Dad tells me.


    ¡°I guess. Oh. Mom, is it alright with you if I leave tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Sure. The sooner you leave, the sooner you''ll return.¡± Mom says and Dad and I steal looks at each other.


    ¡°Yes yes.¡± We say quietly and get chopped on the heads, gently.


    ¡°Well. We''re off.¡± I hug Mom.


    ¡°Take care.¡±


    ¡°Tell him I''ll kick his ass.¡± Dad says.


    ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll do it for you.¡± I smile and get on Sky. Storm finishes up nuzzling her little one. Meteor places his head to hers and growls softly. She comes over to us the next moment.


    ¡°Fly.¡± I say and we take off. It takes about a week to get to the Site on a dragon. Unfortunately for most of them, it takes longer. Besides Uncle Percy and my Parents, nobody else there has dragons. So once in a while we offer our "services" to help transport something. Even that has been established as an excuse for us to visit each other. Except that ever since Storm and Meteor had their kid, uncle Percy had to leave Storm behind. He hasn''t been back since. Not that I''m complaining. It''s fun traveling like this and I only do it every few months. Usually, it''s a piece of cake. I do need, I mean we, need to look out for poachers, though. I can take care of myself plenty. Sky''s capable too. Even if his ability is defense orientated. Storm, on the other hand, is vicious, to say the least. Just like her Master, huh? Still. I try not to let my guard down. I like traveling this way in the Winter too. Flying isn''t great, gotta bundle up a lot, but when camping, we stay warm thanks to their natural heat. The Spring and the Fall are the worst. The winds pick up, making it difficult to fly. We had to go by ground a few times. Takes a bit longer. No matter. Wild dragons are the only other thing that truly frightens me. Dragons are extremely territorial. Explains their loyalties to their masters. So far we''ve been lucky not to encounter any up close. Sometimes I''ll see one or two flying in the distance...


    We land next to the Base and finish the rest of the way walking. About an hour. Gives me a good excuse to stretch my legs too. Storm gets more and more anxious the closer we get. Sky too. Just not in a fun way. Sorry boy. I pat him as we leave the woods.


    ¡°You two wait here for now.¡± I tell them. Storm gives me a disapproving roar.


    ¡°I''ll go get him for you.¡± I take my bags off Sky and go. The Base is busy as ever. They seem to be taking good care of themselves. Uncle Percy really is a genius.


    ¡°Zal!¡± I wave.


    ¡°Yo! Ether, my man!¡± The Ravo comes over to me. ¡°Lemme get that. He takes a bag off me.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. What''s up?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know, same, we haven''t had any major developments happen in a while.¡±


    ¡°Right. So? Where is he?¡±


    ¡°His place. I think just saw them somewhere, not too long ago.¡±


    ¡°Ok, great. Then I can kick his ass with no witnesses present.¡± I say and Zaltem laughs. ¡°And? How are you guys?¡±


    ¡°We''re good, thanks.¡± He escorts me to the Uncle''s place. ¡°I''ll wait here.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, be back in a bit.¡± I knock on the door. ¡°I''m coming in!¡± I call out. No answer. I open the door and see the same thing as always. Uncle Percy asleep on his desk next to bundles of books and scrolls. I hang the bag on his chair and leave.


    ¡°That was quick.¡± Zal says.


    ¡°He''s passed out.¡±


    He laughs. ¡°As per usual.¡± We walk around the Base a bit, with me taking notes of things. Gotta have something to report back... Zal gets stopped a few times.


    ¡°Something the matter?¡±


    ¡°My name doesn''t have a nickname.¡± I pout for some reason.


    Zal laughs at me. ¡°Well, I mean, there''s not much to choose from. You either have ET or HER, like?¡± He says chuckling. ¡°Oh, Miss!¡± Zal waves to a Primerian woman with a girl in hand. "Look who''s here!"


    ¡°Etty!!¡± The girl let''s go of her Mother and runs over to me. I take her and pick her up. She looks just like her Mother. Dark brown, chocolate colored hair and bright green eyes. The only thing she get from her Father were the locks.


    ¡°Hi, Burla." I smile at her. "See what you''ve done?¡± I whisper, glaring at the Ravo.


    ¡°Hello, Ether.¡±


    ¡°Hi, Aunty.¡± I smile again.


    ¡°I was right.¡± Uncle show''s himself from the crowd. Yawing. ¡°You are here.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡± I greet Uncle.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Burla squirms and I set her down.


    ¡°Hi, honey.¡± Uncle Percy pats his daughter¡¯s head. A roar rolls over the Base. Uh oh.


    ¡°Don''t tell me...¡± Uncle stares at me.


    ¡°Hey, don''t give me that look. You brought this on yourself.¡± I try to defend myself.


    ¡°Take her, please.¡± He gives his daughter back to her Mother. A dragon runs charging through the crowd. People scatter out of her way.


    ¡°No! NO! STORM!¡± Uncle tries to defuse the riled-up creature, but fails miserably. She tackles him full force and knocks the man flat on his back. Storm follows up with an upset roar, right in his face.


    ¡°ALRIGHT, I GET IT! SORRY! GET OFF!¡±


    ¡°Well, guess the ass kicking part has been taken care of.¡± I whisper to Zal.


    ¡°Looks like it.¡± He agrees. Sky carefully approaches our party too.


    ¡°How long will you stay with us this time?¡± Aunty Ocana asks me, through all the commotion. I shrug my shoulders. ¡°We''ll see. Maybe a few weeks?¡±


    ¡°STORM! ENOUGH! OFF!¡± Uncle Percy has finally regained his control over his dragon. She backs up. ¡°SIT!¡± He tells her. To my surprise she lays down. Guess that''s close enough?


    ¡°Sorry about that.¡± Uncle tells us, patting Storm''s head. ¡°How are they?¡±


    ¡°Oh, the baby''s growing up just fine. He looks exactly like his father and is healthy as a horse.¡± I see the look Uncle gives me. ¡°They are fine. Dad said to kick your ass for him.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we''ll be able to come visit soon. I think she''s big enough now, to handle a trip like that.¡± Aunty says.


    ¡°That would be nice. You could stay at our place easy.¡± I answer.


    ¡°So you''re the reason for the racket.¡± Dynna shows herself too. For someone in her 40s she looks good.


    ¡°Hi there!¡± I wave.


    ¡°Hi.¡± She answers short as usual. ¡°Mind moving this elsewhere? You''re in the middle of the road.¡±


    ¡°My bad.¡± Uncle bows quickly.


    ¡°We''ll be going then.¡± Zal says. ¡°We''ll catch you later.¡± Zaltem and Aodynna make their exit.


    ¡°Sure thing!¡± I wave to their backs. Storm and Sky take off and circle a little above us.


    ¡°How are you?¡± I ask Uncle. He yawns again.


    ¡°Same. Even with the research out of the way, there''s plenty to do.¡±


    ¡°No kidding.¡± I say. ¡°You have a whole town here now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and we''re slowly expanding.¡± Aunty adds.


    ¡°Just hope the effort pays off.¡± Uncle mumbles.


    ¡°Don''t worry. We''ll make it pay off.¡± I smile. ¡°Zaltem filled me in on the situation, more or less. I understand you''ve been gaining steady income?¡± I change the subject.


    ¡°Yes, our produce production has increased about 45%? We have now, like what?¡±


    ¡°4 different types of grains growing.¡± Aunty answers.


    ¡°Yes. Thank you, dear.¡± Uncle agrees.


    ¡°To be fair, our enchantment-based produce is more popular with fighters and casters.¡± She continues. ¡°Regular people don''t do much business with us. The location has its disadvantages...¡± She looks away into the distance.


    ¡°Unfortunately, yes. Some folk believe the food here to be...¡±


    ¡°Bad?¡± I step in.


    ¡°Cursed.¡± Uncle says.


    I try not to smile that time. ¡°Honestly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, it can''t be helped. We''re lucky that we have even that much bought from us. From what we hear, our extra special produce has been slowly spreading its way into the Land of Race too.¡± He adds.


    ¡°No wonder. It''s like a boost of spells and abilities in a spoon. As long as you don''t abuse it - it helps to steadily increase your magic or enhance physical abilities.¡± I agree. ¡°I should know. Wait, but that doesn''t mean that you stopped making the regular ones?¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course not. We make plenty of those too. We need them, and as much as the Enchanted Grains are increasing in popularity, we have more of the regular, out of season grains growing nicely too.¡± Uncle answers.


    ¡°Of course, those are more or less consumed by the rich.¡± Aunty says.


    ¡°Yes, but we charge them more just cause.¡± Uncle says. ¡°I would prefer to help the regular people more, though... It''s been years now.¡± Yes, it has been. It should have spread across the continent by now.


    ¡°What if we offer to send out teams to remote areas with our knowledge and have them help the people there?¡± I ask.


    ¡°We already have that going on, more or less. See. The people here are free to come and go as they please. Only those who sign up for the RRD officially need permission to move.¡± Uncle Percy explains.


    ¡°Some of the families here stay with us for a few years and then go back to their home villages to help develop them. So, in a way.¡± Aunty Ocana takes over.


    ¡°I see. In a way, you are helping. So, then it''s just buying directly from here that''s the problem?¡±


    ¡°More or less. I don''t feel like tricking people into buying from us. We don''t charge them much either. But the Base has its down side. We have reports come in from time to time that some are wary of our methods even if they learn of them from people they know.¡± Uncle tells me.


    ¡°There will always be sides divided. Can''t win them all.¡± Aunty adds.


    ¡°Their loss. I see no reason not to trust Uncle''s methods.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ether.¡±


    ¡°No problem! Anything else we miss? Are you good on weapons? Meds?¡±


    ¡°Yes and yes.¡± Uncle nods. ¡°Meds are not a problem whatsoever for us. Weapons too. We try to reforge anything we can and the ores sell well. Considering how much unused resources there are in the surrounding areas, the more we expand the more we discover. So, we''re able to sustain ourselves plenty.¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear, and the Rebellion?¡± I look to the west.


    ¡°Yes, well, that...¡± Uncle hesitates.


    ¡°They try, less nowadays, but they are persistent.¡± Aunty answers me instead.


    ¡°Not that we ever have much trouble with them. Everyone here is trained to fight. Even the non-combatant family members are taught basic medical and battle knowledge as a rule, if they wish to stay here.¡± Uncle adds. ¡°There''s nothing to worry about. We are fully able to defend ourselves.¡±


    ¡°I see. Right...¡± Wait. ¡°Less?¡± That catches my attention. ¡°Not more?¡±


    ¡°I asked the people here to share some food and clothing, as well as meds with them. We leave them by the boarder... No weapons, of course.¡± He adds quickly, noticing my expression. ¡°I hope we can ease the tension...¡±


    ¡°Percival, you''re not telling the whole story here.¡± Aunty Ocana gives her husband a look of her own... Burla continues to walk quietly amongst our talk. Her tiny face with bright eyes looking up at us, reminds me of me, back in the day... I catch her small gaze and smile. She waves back at me.


    ¡°Well? I''m waiting?¡± I urge Uncle.


    ¡°We have some of the Odions come over to us, asking for help. Usually, it''s food and shelter... Some leave after a few days. Some have stayed with us...¡±


    ¡°How long has this been going on?¡± I stare at Uncle Percy.


    ¡°A decade... More or less...¡± You''re kidding me...


    ¡°Uncle!¡± I stop.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I know. I should have said something earlier...¡±


    ¡°That''s the LAST of my worries right now! You do realize they could be stealing our secrets! What if the Rebellion is using our methods to get stronger! What IF they attack us!¡±


    ¡°I know it was reckless of me¨C¡°


    I snap, cutting him off. ¡°RECKLESS! UNCLE!! THAT AIN¡¯T THE WORD I¡¯M LOOKING FOR HERE!¡±


    ¡°ETHER!¡± Aunty Ocana steps into my view. I quickly pull myself together again.


    ¡°I apologize. The information you''ve given me, made me lose my composure.¡± I bow.


    ¡°No, no, it''s fine. You''re not the only one to have that reaction.¡± Uncle admits.


    ¡°Ether, you need to remember that most of the Odions are misguided souls. Some do not even remember the reasons for going over there, or are hostages of the choices their predecessors made. The people we have coming over, have difficulty accepting kindness and help.¡± Aunty Ocana explains it, keeping her voice low and calm. ¡°What Percival is doing, is trying to ease the tension and gain their trust. If that''s at all possible.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, dear.¡± Uncle takes his wife by the hand. ¡°It is as Ocana explained it. You do know we have an Accord of Defense against the Rebellion.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We are only to defend ourselves. Never to attack first.¡±


    ¡°Yes. That being said. I''d like to turn this into a complete Non-Aggression Pact between us and them.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I struggle to stay cool.


    ¡°Same reason why we are trying to help the people here.¡± Aunty answers.


    ¡°To help develop the land and improve their lives overall?¡± I ask, keeping my tone even.


    ¡°And hopefully to reunite the people divided one day. We only have one world. No reason to be fighting amongst ourselves for it. We are our biggest enemies. The RRD is the first step toward that. Least I want it to be...¡± Uncle gazes the town and the people over. I understand where he''s coming from...


    ¡°I''m sorry...¡± I mumble. ¡°I know how hard you''re working for everyone''s sake... Perhaps I was more shocked to find out you have included the Rebellion into this too... As if you don''t have enough to worry about...¡± I mutter the words out there at the end.


    Aunty laughs quietly. ¡°That''s what I told him. Zaltem too.¡± She adds.


    ¡°Sorry for the trouble.¡± Uncle gets a bit embarrassed.


    ¡°Too late!¡± Aunty says smiling.


    ¡°Mommy, I''m hungry...¡± Burla pulls on Aunty''s sleeve.


    ¡°Sorry, honey, let''s go back then.¡± Uncle takes his girl into his arms and she rests her head on his shoulder.


    ¡°You''ll join us, won''t you?¡± Aunty squints at me.


    ¡°Do I have a choice?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Uncle says and we laugh a little again.


    ¡°I''d be happy to.¡± I smile.

 21. The Royals and the Pain

    ¡°My Lords, there''s a messenger from Araneum who wishes to see you.¡± Messo announces.


    Breeze and I look at each other for a moment. ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°Let them through.¡± Zarri answers holding my gaze.


    ¡°Right away.¡± Messo bows and leaves.


    ¡°This is rather unusual.¡± I stand closer to her.


    ¡°I''ll say.¡± Our guards walk into the throne hall with the messenger, a young Balli boy, in the middle of their circle. The guards open up in the center and let the boy through a little. He bows and takes a scroll out. He takes in a gulp of air and begins.


    ¡°To the Royal Family of Noxanda. It is with great grief that I inform you of the passing of King Tahon of the Concord.¡± Oh? I watch Breeze straighten her back out and rest her chin on her laced fingers. The boy continues.


    ¡°The Funeral Ceremony has already been held and our land is in mourning.¡± Sure it is. ¡°I, Ruby of Araneum, with the blessings of the Council and the Congress, have succeeded my late Father and have ascended the throne.¡± Of course, she did.


    ¡°I shall continue on with my Father''s work and wishes. As the Queen of Concord, I''d like to invite You to Araneum to pay respects to the late King, as well as honor the treaty between the Original Nations and Existara, regarding the Rebirth Research Division and the matter of Rebirth, as it has been agreed upon during my Father''s ruling.¡± That''s what this is about...


    ¡°We shall await you at the Royal City in six months, should you wish to accept the invitation. You have a week, upon receiving the summons, to reply.¡± Interesting. ¡°Signed. Ruby, the Queen of Concord.¡± The boy rolls the scroll up and hands it to Erin. She brings it to me. We wait for Breeze. She puts her hands down.


    ¡°You shall have your answer in a week.¡± She tells the messenger boy.


    ¡°Then I shall be back in seven days.¡± The Balli kid bows, the guards make way for him and he leaves. We wait a little longer. Our guards disappear and I ask Zarri again.


    ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°I''m thinking.¡±


    ¡°You gotta give credit to the girl. She coated it as an invite, but really, she ain''t giving us a choice.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I picked up on that. Frankly, It''s hard to miss...¡± She has a serious look on her. ¡°How long has it been?¡±


    ¡°32 years. Give or take.¡± Rei answers from the shadows and all three of them appear.


    ¡°We should go.¡± Xan says.


    ¡°Could be a good chance to reinforce relationships with other nations too.¡± Ro seconds.


    ¡°I agree.¡± Zarri looks at me. ¡°Considering that nobody over there ever saw your real hair color - we should be safe.¡± I wink at my wife.


    ¡°We can''t exactly leave Noxanda alone.¡± Breeze makes a point.


    ¡°You can leave it to us.¡± Glen shows up too.


    ¡°Ugh, does everyone here spy on everyone?¡± Zarri pouts, with her hand under her cheek. I smile.


    ¡°We can handle overseeing things here while you''re away, my Lords.¡± Glen repeats it. ¡°We are more than capable. We''ll split in two teams, no problem.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Glen.¡± I answer. ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°Come on, Mom! Let''s go!¡± Xan''s impatient as always.


    ¡°Ugh. Fine.¡± She caves. ¡°The whole thing''s in six months? We leave in three. You know the drill.¡± She waves to Glen.


    ¡°Roger that.¡± He nods and slips away again.


    ¡°ALRIGHT YEAH!¡± Xander cheers.


    ¡°Take it easy.¡± Reina says.


    ¡°We should brush up on the current Politics then.¡± Ty keeps his composure.


    ¡°Not a bad idea, you do that.¡± Zarri agrees.


    ¡°On it!¡± Xan smiles and they leave us.


    ¡°What''s wrong?¡± I ask her, taking her into my lap.


    ¡°It''ll be such a pain...¡± She whispers and I laugh.


    ¡°Oh, that will be one hell of a punishment for you...¡±


    ¡°You''re enjoying this more than you should.¡± She glares at me.


    I shrug my shoulders. ¡°Maybe. That''s not the only thing that bothers you. Is it?¡± I brush her hair away from her face.


    ¡°We''ll have to tell them...¡± Right...


    ¡°Perhaps this way''s better then...¡±


    ¡°I''m not sure...¡± She exhales, pulling herself to me¡­


    ¡°Finally! Damn that took too long!¡± I stretch.


    ¡°As if you did anything.¡± Rei jabs at me.


    ¡°Hey, I''m allowed to have an opinion.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you do.¡± Ether shows himself on board. ¡°Hey there.¡± He kisses Rei and I turn away.


    ¡°Hi, Ether.¡± Ro comes over with our bags. ¡°Catch.¡± He throws me mine. ¡°What''s with you?¡±


    ¡°That.¡± I nod to the love birds.


    ¡°Really? How many years has it been now?¡± Dad and Mom come over to us too.


    ¡°What does it matter!¡± I pout. ¡°He''s our cousin!¡±


    ¡°Adopted.¡± Ether says, taking Reina''s bag from Tyro.


    ¡°Different race.¡± Rei seconds him again. Why do I feel like I¡¯ve had this conversation before? Never mind.


    ¡°Like ANY of that matters!¡±


    ¡°Grow up.¡± Sis glares at me.


    ¡°Mom and Dad are waiting at the cabin?¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± Dad nods to cuz. We get off the ship. Our escort gets sent away to the Palace, while we make our way to the legendary cabin in the woods. We take the famous Dragon Trail. Apparently, it''s the fastest way from the Docks to the City. I stare at all of the different beasts.


    ¡°We''re meeting your dragons too, right?¡± I ask Dad.


    ¡°Hope so.¡±


    ¡°The little one''s all grown up too now.¡± Ether says.


    ¡°I''m excited to meet him.¡± Mom says. We split up into two cabs. Mom and Dad with me. Rei and Ether with Ty. I stare out the window. Definitely a different feeling from home.


    ¡°So this where all of it happened?¡±


    ¡°More or less.¡± Dad says with a smile. ¡°You ok?¡±


    ¡°Ask me that again later.¡± Mom answers. I take a quick glance over at her. She seems different somehow too. The carrier lands with a soft thud. We get out and switch the dragons out for horses.


    ¡°My Queen!¡± A Noxian man comes over to us with an extra self-satisfied grin on his face.


    ¡°No. Not him.¡± Dad closes his eyes.


    ¡°Now now. Play nice.¡± Mom smiles at the approaching man. He takes Mom¡¯s hand and kisses it, bowing down.


    ¡°What a pleasure to see you.¡± He says. I look over to my siblings. Yup, they are watching this too. With another Noxian male next to them.


    ¡°Good to see you are doing well, Rixa.¡± OHHHH. So this is the one.


    ¡°My Lords.¡± The other Noxian bows down now too.


    ¡°Zaltem, please. No need for that.¡± Mom says. Oh.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He straightens out.


    ¡°I was wondering who would escort us, since you''ve sent our guards away.¡± Dad stares at Ether.


    ¡°Sorry, Uncle, he insisted...¡±


    ¡°You''re as beautiful as ever, my Queen.¡± Rixa does not seem fazed by anything.


    ¡°Hands off.¡± Dad steps in and pulls Mom closer to him. This will be fun. I grin.


    ¡°Shall we get going?¡± Mom implies, casually, more or less.


    ¡°Please.¡± Zaltem says and goes over to the other carriage.


    ¡°Why do we get him?¡± Dad calls out.


    ¡°Cause I lost the fight.¡± Ether admits. Dad''s not happy about this whatsoever. We get in and take off.


    ¡°Soooo this is the famous Rixa?¡± I break the awkward silence.


    ¡°Sadly, yes.¡±


    ¡°There aren''t many left here that we can trust. I think this is quite nice.¡± Mom says calmly.


    ¡°We''ll see.¡± Dad pouts. I smile. This is fun.


    ¡°By the way, is it just me or the carriages are smaller here?¡±


    ¡°Narrow, yes. We''ll be going through the woods. It easier to maneuver.¡± Dad answers.


    ¡°Shouldn''t there be a road there by now?¡±


    ¡°No. We made sure to never go through the same path more than three-four times.¡± Mom says.


    ¡°When Laira moved in, she used her mana to touch up the paths for us. It''s not like the cabin''s a big secret, but random is random. Better not to have direct paths connecting still.¡±


    ¡°Gotchya.¡± It''s Summer here. How Strange. It''s Winter now back home. That''s why we packed quite light. It''ll be Spring time when we return... The carriage stops.


    ¡°We''re here.¡± Dad says, stepping out first and helping Mom down the steps. I follow them. Quite the open area. I look around. The cabin''s shape resembles a diamond. There are huge stables on the left. It''s two floors tall. So this is it. I walk over to my siblings.


    ¡°Thoughts?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Getting there.¡± Ro answers. Rei keeps it to herself. The doors open and a geezer with our Aunty step out.


    ¡°Welcome back!¡± They greet our Parents first.


    ¡°It''s strange to be back.¡± Mom says, hugging Aunty.


    ¡°Yo, Ether, who''s the old man?¡± I lean in. He glares at me.


    ¡°That''s Uncle Marcus you moronoid.¡± Rei hisses at me.


    ¡°No way! Uncle Marcus IS WAY BETTER LOOKING!¡± Laughter surrounds me. ¡°What? What I say?¡±


    ¡°Why thank you, Xander.¡± The geezer comes over to me. I take a good look at the man. No way.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I ask and get a slap on the back of my head. Uncle Marcus laughs at me.


    ¡°Old age. It happens.¡± He gives me his hand. I shake it.


    ¡°This is gonna take me a bit.¡± I mumble. Uncle laughs again.


    ¡°Take your time.¡± He smiles at me. ¡°Guess it''s been sometime since we stopped with our regular visits.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, ever since Ether took over.¡± Tyro agrees.


    Mom sighs loudly. ¡°Pardon the idiot.¡±


    ¡°No offense taken.¡± Uncle answers. I keep staring at his white hair and wrinkled face. The glasses too. He seems so different... Yet I feel the familiar vibe the man gives off...


    ¡°Well then? Shall we go in?¡± Aunty Laira''s voice snaps me out of it, leading the way.


    ¡°Go on without us.¡± Zaltem stops Rixa by the shoulder. "We''ll see you later." He gives us a look. So do the other pair of adults. Our Parents seem different somehow too. Ok...


    ¡°Percival hasn''t returned yet, so we''ll wait for our reunion later.¡± Zaltem adds to the staring silence.


    ¡°Oh come on! For real!¡± Rixa throws a fit.


    ¡°Appreciate it.¡± Dad grins with pleasure.


    ¡°Alright then. See you later.¡± Aunty agrees too. Mom nods and they leave on a pair of Celodians, as we go inside the cabin.


    ¡°I''ll show you to your rooms.¡± Ether points upstairs. I quickly scan the room. Two giant couches. A couple of high chairs and a short couch with a giant table in the middle. The kitchen''s huge too with food everywhere. A long hallway toward the stable end. Ether points to a few open doors.


    ¡°These ones are taken.¡± He says, gesturing to the left.


    ¡°We''ll take this one then.¡± Ty walks into one of the rooms on the right. Nice. A giant window. Two giant beds. A nightstand each, with a basin.


    ¡°Cool.¡±


    ¡°Just as a Dad described it.¡± Ro agrees. We leave our bags on the beds and walk back out. I stop and stare at the door at the end of the hall.


    ¡°Hey, Ether, that wouldn''t happen to be the...¡± I look at our cousin, pointing to the room.


    ¡°The War room? Same one.¡± He says. ¡°Wanna check it out?¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah!¡± I answer and catch the gazes of my siblings. ¡°Tomorrow?¡± I add.


    ¡°Wise choice.¡± Rei says and we get back down. Ty and I take our Parents bags and haul them upstairs too.


    ¡°Third door on the right!¡± Dad calls out.


    ¡°Gotchya!¡± Ty answers going straight for it. We toss the bags in and get back down again. The rest of them are getting comfy on the couches. I take a high chair, at the far corner of the table. Rei and Ether sit down on the short couch by the other end. Ty takes the other chair next to me and the two pairs of Parents take a couch each. Everyone is busy catching up. This is a nice change of scenery. We''re used to them coming to us, so this feels somewhat freeing. The cabin feels cozy. Despite its size. I wonder if this is how it felt like back in the day for them?


    It clicks to me. ¡°Oh yeah, where the dragons at?¡±


    ¡°Hunting. They should be back tomorrow or so.¡± Uncle answers.


    ¡°Oh, by the way, how are they?¡± Aunty asks. Our Parents immediately freeze up. The gloom creeps into the air. Something''s off.


    ¡°Wait. You mean.¡± It dawns on me. ¡°You can''t be serious.¡± I snarl. The silence is my answer. ¡°For real?¡± My voice gets louder, angrier. ¡°You HAVEN''T TOLD THEM!¡± My blood begins to boil.


    ¡°Tell us what?¡± Uncle looks all of us over. Our Parents turn to stone.


    ¡°WELL! GO ON! WHAT''S THE HOLD UP!¡± I snap.


    ¡°DON''T! WE ARE WELL AWARE OF YOUR FEELINGS ON THE TOPIC!¡± Dad shuts me down.


    ¡°Guys, you''re scaring me.¡± Aunty puts her glass down. Mom goes over to them and sits down next to her.


    ¡°This will be hard to hear.¡± Mom takes Aunty''s hands into hers.


    ¡°No kidding.¡± I mumble.


    ¡°Alright, enough. Come on.¡± Ty gets up and drags me by the elbow. ¡°Out. Let them handle this.¡±


    ¡°I did and they didn''t.¡± I get up still and leave the cabin with my brother. We stand outside the front door. I keep pacing.


    ¡°I can''t believe them.¡±


    ¡°It''s not exactly easy breaking the news like that.¡± Ty answers.


    ¡°Yeah well. Argh!¡± My body trembles.


    ¡°Don''t hate them.¡±


    ¡°I don''t! I''m just mad as Hell!¡±


    Ty sits down on the steps and pats a place next to him. I stop for a moment and come over. We wait. We listen.


    ¡°Should we?¡±


    ¡°Better not.¡± Ty shakes his head. I look up into the evening sky. A chill runs down my spine. Something ain¡¯t right. Ro and I stare at each other. A weird noise comes from the inside. We go back in and freeze.


    We watch Ty and Xan leave the room.


    ¡°What''s going?¡± Dad asks Uncle Crile.


    ¡°Laira, listen.¡± Aunty begins. Her face looks grim. Rei squeezes my hand harder. Something''s up. ¡°Remember when Noxanda was attacked?¡± Mom nods.


    ¡°Well. Things happened after that. Now, we didn''t say anything because they were our problems to deal with...¡±


    ¡°That''s half of it.¡± Rei says.


    ¡°Yes. The other half is...¡± Wait. What? My mind is not able to register the words Aunty Zarri speaks.. What''s happening? I watch pain and grief shackle my Mother''s face. Dad holds her as Aunty and Uncle explain what happened to our grandparents. Mom weeps quietly. Those are the longest five minutes of my life... Last time I saw Mom so distraught was when Dad almost died...


    ¡°Why didn''t you tell me?¡± I look at Rei.


    ¡°It wasn''t my place to say anything.¡±


    ¡°I see why Xan''s pissed with you.¡± Dad glares at Uncle.


    ¡°We''re not exactly pleased with ourselves either.¡±


    ¡°How long...¡± Mom mumbles through her fingers. ¡°HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN!!!¡± She screams out.


    ¡°About three years.¡± Uncle answers flat out.


    ¡°HOW COULD YOU!!¡± Mom shrieks again, pushing Aunty away from herself. She gets up and paces around the living room. Dad takes a back seat.


    ¡°Laira, please...¡± Aunty chases after Mom.


    ¡°Oh NO! NOT THIS TIME, SIS!¡± Mom''s pissed. ¡°How could you lie to me! AGAIN! ALL YOU EVER DO IS LIE TO ME!¡±


    ¡°Laira, I... We promised... We didn''t...¡± Aunty struggles with words. I kinda understand the situation they were in, but I understand why Mom''s upset too...


    ¡°THEY WERE MY PARENTS TOO!¡± Mom snaps again.


    ¡°I couldn''t get the timing right! I''m sorry! It''s not something I can just bring up so easily!¡±


    ¡°GODS I HATE YOU RIGHT NOW MORE THAN EVER!!¡± Mom yells and Vines crawl out of the floor, wrapping themselves around Aunty, strangling her body. Uncle has his blade against Mom''s throat. Dad shoots Air spikes around Uncle''s neck too. The door opens and Tyro and Xander burst in on the scene.


    ¡°The Hell''s going on?¡± Xan puts his hand on the Vines.


    ¡°Stay out of it!¡± Rei''s Vines plaster Xan to the wall. Tyro remains in place.


    ¡°Rei! What the!¡± She shuts her brother up with the Vines.


    ¡°Laira. Let. Go.¡± Uncle spits the words out.


    ¡°You first.¡± Dad tightens the spike collar around Uncle''s neck. Tiny blood drops appear on his grey skin. Xan struggles, pinned against the wall. Rei doesn''t let go either. Ro''s thinking. His darting eyes give him away. The Vines continue to squeeze the life out of Aunty.


    ¡°Go on. Do it.¡± She whispers staring right at Mom. The pain is taking her sanity away. I get up and walk over to her. I put my arms around her shoulders. Her body''s so tense... I feel her tremble. She cries out and lets go. Mom cries out over and over again as I hold her to me. Rei lets Xan go and the two brothers check on their Mother. Uncle puts his knife away. Dad scatters his casting.


    ¡°Nice reaction time there.¡± Uncle says.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Dad nods. ¡°Don''t ever make me do that again.¡±


    ¡°Same here.¡± Uncle crouches down next to Aunty. ¡°You good?¡±


    ¡°I''ll live.¡± She looks over at us. Xan continues to glare at me. Mom cries hysterically. Dad comes over to us and takes her over from me. Reina has her gaze down and away from me. Tyro begins tiding up the table. Rei follows his lead. Aunty waves Xan off. Dad nods to me too. The four of us migrate between the kitchen and the living room while the four of them remain huddled up on the floor. Nobody says anything for a long while.


    ¡°The Hell just happened.¡± Xander''s patience breaks first.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Rei answers.


    ¡°Didn''t look like it...¡± Ty whispers too.


    ¡°Leave them be.¡± I say.


    ¡°Easy for you to say.¡± Xan throws me a nasty look.


    ¡°As if.¡±


    ¡°Don''t start.¡± Reina cuts us off. ¡°Say anything stupid more and I''ll end you.¡± She glares at Xan, washing the dishes.


    ¡°I heard that one before.¡± He rolls his eyes at her, drying the plates.


    ¡°Enough.¡± Tyro finishes it, putting them away on the table, leaving me to organize them back to their places. The two Dads walk into the kitchen.


    ¡°How about you guys call it a night.¡± Dad says.


    ¡°We''ll be up a bit.¡± Uncle Crile seconds him, going downstairs.


    ¡°Ok.¡± I nod. We finish up and go upstairs.


    ¡°Good night.¡± We each say the two Mothers on the opposite couches. A nod is all we get. Rei and I settle in together in one room. Ty and Xan take the room opposite from us.


    ¡°Think they''ll be ok?¡± I ask Rei.


    ¡°From what I know - there''s no telling. Aunty has forgiven Mom plenty before, but this might take some time...¡± She tells me undressing. ¡°Are you mad at me?¡±


    ¡°I''m not sure. A part of me is. But right now, I''m more shocked, really. That was a first for me.¡±


    ¡°For us too. Hope it''s the last too.¡±


    ¡°Same here...¡± I answer looking at Reina¡¯s naked body in front of me.


    Last night¡¯s tension doesn''t go anywhere the next morning. It''s every man and woman for themselves. Aunty has shut herself inside the bedroom. Dad spends time talking with Uncle. Rei and Ether are off somewhere. Leaving me and Ty wondering around the cabin and its grounds. I hole up in the War room after breakfast. The items here... Weapons. Armor. Trinkets. Potions. Herbs. Books. I stop by the two armor sets in a wardrobe, hanging side by side to each other. Those must be... The heavy leather one is Mom¡¯s. The half leather, half chain-mail is Dad''s. The cuts and the holes on Mom''s armor send sends chills through my body... Dad¡¯s chest piece has its own scars too. Some chains are missing. Some are crooked and twisted all up from the stabs and the jabs... We aren''t even close to their level...


    ¡°There you are.¡± Ty stands in the door way. ¡°Come out, you don''t wanna miss this.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Ro, check this out.¡± He walks over to me.


    ¡°These?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    He leans in closer. ¡°Damn...¡±


    ¡°Yeah...¡± We stand a little bit longer admiring our Parents'' past. The noise downstairs recaptures our attention. We leave the room. The sounds lead us outside, to the front yard. Four dragons appear before us.


    ¡°You weren''t kidding.¡± I whisper.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Ro lets out a breath too. Rei and Ether come out of the woods too.


    ¡°Nice of you to join us!¡± I call out to them. A patchy blue-ish dragon walks over to Ether. That must be Sky.


    ¡°Come here you two.¡± Dad waves to me and bro. A white with black markings and a black with red lines dragons are nuzzling with our Parents like a pair of puppies. That must be Storm and Meteor... Another black dragon holds its distance from everything. I stand next to Mom while Rei parks herself next to Dad, with Tyro in the middle of us. Storm stares at me for a long moment...


    ¡°She not like me?¡± I whisper to Mom.


    ¡°Wait for it.¡± So, I wait. Storm takes a good long whiff of Mom and then of me. She sneezes and sniffs me again. Then looks back at Mom.


    ¡°It''s ok.¡± Mom pets her dragon. She takes my hand and puts on the dragon''s nose. Oh. The scales feel so rough and edgy... I trace my hand upward only.


    ¡°There we go. Ty.¡± Mom looks around. ¡°Stand here please.¡± She moves away from me and Ro takes her place. Storm does the same staring contest with him too. Meanwhile Meteor seems to be having a hard time deciding between Dad and Rei. Dad seems to be having fun, though.


    ¡°He''s seeing double. He can''t take it.¡± Dad laughs at his confused dragon. Storm has finally decided that Ty''s all good too. We watch Rei get in closer to Meteor. He finally gives in and lays down in front of Sis. Dad loses it completely.


    ¡°Ro!¡± He waves to bro. Ty nods to Storm and goes over to Meteor. The dragon looks at Ty, then at Dad, at Mom and back at Ro. He takes a whiff of bro and lets out a growl.


    ¡°Is he angry?¡± I ask someone, taking a step back.


    ¡°No. That''s a low growl, it means he¡¯s fine, but ain¡¯t too sure about it, when they roar they sound different.¡± Mom goes over to say hello to Sky. She stops a few steps away and bows. The dragon nods. Rei leaves Ro and Meteor alone and comes over to Ether and Sky. The dragon backs up a little, but cousin stops him.


    ¡°It''s ok. Easy. She''s with me. Don''t worry.¡± He talks to the dragon nice and calm. Rei waits a few steps away and lets Ether bring the dragon to her instead. It takes a few tries, but he gives up and submits to his master. Rei gets a quick nose boop and the dragon retreats.


    ¡°Now then. What about you?¡± Mom looks at the last dragon. A total copy of Meteor.


    ¡°What''s this one again?¡± I ask cuz.


    ¡°No official name. I call him Shrimp. He only listens cause his parents are bound to us.¡±


    ¡°That''s a shrimp to you?¡± I stare at cuz. Storm nudges her kid over to Mom. Shrimp moves hesitantly. Mom waits with her hand out. She lets the dragon take the lead. Storm puts her head next to Mom''s feet. The ultimate sign of loyalty, or so we heard. Shrimp thinks it over and follows his momma-dragon. Dad comes next and same happens with papa-dragon.


    ¡°I see all of you have made your acquaintances.¡± Uncle Marcus comes over to us.


    ¡°They are fascinating creatures.¡± Tyro says.


    ¡°I''ll say.¡± I agree.


    ¡°How''s Aunty?¡± Reina comes over too. Uncle shakes his head.


    ¡°She needs some time...¡±


    ¡°We can stay in the city, if that would help?¡± Mom says.


    ¡°Don''t insult her. The least you can do is stay here and suffer alongside her.¡± Wow. Uncle''s tough.


    ¡°Anything we can help with in the mean time?¡± Dad steps in.


    ¡°We''ll see. I''ll be going back now.¡± Uncle says and walks away from us again. I kinda feel like saying something here, but I don''t. This is punishment enough. We spend the next couple of days learning how to fly a dragon. Storm lets us know quite clearly when we mess up. Meteor too. Only Rei is allowed near Sky and only with Ether. It''s a fun way to pass the time while Mom patches things up with Aunty. Whenever that will happen... We''ll see her come down sometimes, but she clearly puts on a face for our sake... After a few tries, we learned not to force her.


    ¡°Xan!! Hurry up! Uncle''s here!¡± Rei knocks on the bathroom door. Already? Damn.


    ¡°Coming!¡± They said they''d be here in a few days. I quickly get dressed and run out to meet them.


    ¡°Lazy ass.¡± Reina hisses at me.


    ¡°Gimme a break.¡± I hiss back.


    ¡°And this must be?¡± Mom address the Primerian teenager.


    ¡°Burla Skyrider, honor to meet you.¡± The girl curtsies.


    ¡°She cute.¡± I whisper.


    ¡°Hands off.¡± Rei growls at me.


    ¡°Oh, so you''re allowed to, but not me?¡± I pout. She jabs me in the ribs. A groan pushes against the inside of my lips, but I manage to swallow it.


    ¡°In the honor of your fallen comrade.¡± The woman says. Mom freezes up. What gives? We already knew the name...


    ¡°Commander? I mean, Lady?¡±


    ¡°Percy, please, you''re old enough to call me simply Breeze.¡± Mom snaps out if it and walks over to Uncle. She hugs him to her for a moment. He''s gotten older too...


    ¡°Pardon me. I may not look it, but I am ancient, old age is getting to me.¡± Mom wipes her face quickly and bows to the women. ¡°It''s a pleasure to finally meet you.¡±


    ¡°The honor is ours.¡± Aunty Ocana bows too.


    ¡°You''re early!¡± Aunty Laira runs out of the cabin.


    ¡°We lied.¡± Uncle Percy says. ¡°We wanted to help prepare.¡±


    ¡°Prepare for what?¡± Uncle Marcus shows himself too.


    ¡°For the Party. Everyone''s coming.¡± Uncle Percy answers.


    ¡°Everyone who?¡± Dad asks.


    ¡°Zaltem and Aodynna. Levi too. Rixa, of course, and your elite guard. Well, the half that you brought with you, at least. We met with everyone before coming over.¡±


    ¡°They will provide the food, as long as we can provide the place.¡± Aunty Ocana finishes for Uncle Percy.


    ¡°Then we better get to work.¡± Aunty Laira quickly snaps out of it. ¡°We can set everything up in the back yard. Rei, you go with the men, I''ll help too. Ladies - to the kitchen.¡± Aunty''s quick to give out orders. Everyone quickly rustles around. Chairs and tables are being either brought out or made by Rei and Aunty. Kegs of ale, beer, wine and liquor quickly find their way out of the cellar. A couple at a time, the rest of the party show themselves. This is so much different from our usual family gatherings... I kinda feel sorry for Glen and the other''s that can''t join us. With Drew, Arra, Pyro and Odri here, it makes almost twenty people present. This will be epic. I can''t stop smiling throughout the whole thing. We make sure to lay out enough bedding out in the living room too. Nobody will be going anywhere tonight.


    ¡°So this is the statue of the First King?¡± I look upon the Balli shaped stone creation.


    ¡°You mean the first War Chieftain.¡± Rei corrects me.


    ¡°Yeah sure, whichever.¡±


    ¡°You''re both right. After Old Man Bell the royal snobs here changed all of the previous chieftains into kings real quick.¡±


    ¡°Giving the perfect excuse to point my failure out...¡± Mom mumbles.


    ¡°Now now.¡± Dad glosses over her mood.


    ¡°Remind me again why are we part of this charade?¡± I ask, looking out the window as we go along in a snail¡¯s pace with carriages lined up one after another.


    ¡°It''s a political move of the Queen, in an attempt to unify the nations under the pretext of the RRD and the Rebirth, is it not the main reason for the gathering?¡± Tyro answers.


    ¡°Possibly so.¡± Mom agrees.


    ¡°Ok, by why the slow-motion parade?¡±


    ¡°To show off. I''m guessing.¡± Rei''s not too thrilled with this either. ¡°Something like this hasn''t happened in a long and boring while... Apparently...¡± Right. Araneum has steadily become an autonomous ground. The four nations have basically no voice any more in anything that goes on here.


    ¡°This is such a pain...¡±


    ¡°Quit complaining.¡±


    ¡°Oh like you¡¯re happy stuck with us instead of Ether''s lap.¡±


    ¡°Xander.¡± Mom shuts me down.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± I mutter. We stop and the doors open.


    ¡°Show time.¡± Pyro grins at us. Ugh. Mom and Dad get out first. We let Tyro out next, with Rei and I guarding the rear. It feels weird seeing Reina in a dress. I almost trip over nothing a few times.


    ¡°Would you quit it.¡± She snaps at me.


    ¡°Can''t help it! You¡¯re too distracting!¡±


    ¡°One ass beating today was not enough?¡± She throws a quick glare at me.


    ¡°You like fine. The dress suits you. I''m just not used to seeing you this way... It ain¡¯t your fault I¡¯m a moron. Relax. You look fine.¡± The noise around us is giving me a headache.


    ¡°Rei?¡± I look over at my sis. She blushing?


    ¡°Heads up.¡± Ty reaches for us. I straighten out. We enter a giant hall with a dark red carpet dividing it right down the middle. Only now the effect has lessened. A bunch of tables. A bunch of people. A bunch of problems. A pretty little thing shows us to our designated seating area.


    ¡°It''s nice of them to arrange a bunch of smaller tables, rather than line us up by rank.¡± Mom speaks.


    ¡°Guess they couldn''t decide on that.¡± Dad seconds her as we sit down and look around.


    ¡°They didn''t even bother dividing us by land either. Look.¡± I nod across from us, to the other side of the red river...


    ¡°Also part of her plan?¡± Rei says staring down the Cornutese delegates.


    ¡°I''d assume so.¡± Ty says. I keep scanning the crowd. There''s plenty of time before the whole thing is supposed to begin.


    ¡°Is mingling supposed to be part of her grand, master plan too?¡± I ask.


    ¡°If it wasn''t, I wouldn''t be able to tell you how beautiful you look.¡± I quickly turn around in my seat. Ether stands near Rei''s chair. ¡°I''m supposed to be formally greeting everyone before we start. So, please. Play along.¡± He bows to us and we nod. ¡°We''ll catch you guys later.¡± He leaves us. Gotchya...


    ¡°There''s Percy and Ocana.¡± Dad nods to the side.


    ¡°Besides Cobalus and Venatus, we kinda know every major player, huh?¡±


    ¡°Sadly, yes.¡± Mom says.


    ¡°Why sadly?¡± I turn back to her.


    ¡°It''s nothing.¡± She shakes her head. I notice Uncle Marcus and Aunty Laira take their places next to the Queen''s table...


    ¡°So where''s the main attraction?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Fashionably late?¡± Rei mumbles. Wait.


    ¡°Is it just me or does the stupid rug vanishes there in the middle?¡±


    Dad casually stands up to get a better view. ¡°Seems so.¡±


    ¡°Don''t tell me.¡± Mom has a weird face on her.


    ¡°What?¡± I stare at them. Dad''s grin is weird too.


    ¡°It''s a dance floor.¡± Ro answers my questions for me.


    ¡°A what now?¡± Reina stares at our bro with sheer horror.


    ¡°Lemme guess. Also, a political move?¡± I mock Ty a little.


    ¡°What the hell dancing has to do with anything related to politics?¡± That''s new. Rei freaking out.


    ¡°Plenty. It lets people to discuss important matters in a less formal and more direct kind of a way.¡± Tyro passes down judgment on us all.


    ¡°Great. We can''t dance for shi...¡± I bite the last letter off.


    ¡°Relax. Nobody said anything about you needing to dance. It''s optional.¡± Dad eases the pressure on us.


    ¡°Says you. Just look at all the hotties around...¡± I pout.


    ¡°Shut it. It''s starting.¡± Rei kicks me under the table. A Primerian woman in her later 30s shows herself to us.


    ¡°Nicely done. They really focused on the casual-yet-powerful look.¡± Dad comments on the red and gold colored dress. Red for the eyes. Gold for the hair. Eh. She''s pretty. I''ll give her that. Hold up.


    ¡°Yo, who''s the dweeb next to her?¡± I whisper.


    ¡°The next War Chieftain. Apparently.¡± Ty says. ¡°Or at least he¡¯s supposed to be¡­¡±


    ¡°You''re kidding. He looks like he was born yesterday. Literally!¡±


    ¡°Everyone looks like that to us.¡± Mom answers.


    ¡°Dear honored guests and fellow Aranenians. It is a pleasure and an honor to be the one to greet you all on this millennial day. It is with great privilege that I stand here before you, as the Queen of the fortunate generation.¡±


    ¡°Bold.¡± I mumble. Another jab to the leg. A tiny squeak slips through me.


    ¡°It grieves me with immense sorrow that my Father, late King Tahon, was not able to witness this glorious day. It was his greatest wish to see all of us come together. United, under one sky. Under one goal. Fighting for one future. Our future.¡±


    ¡°She''s milking this...¡± Dad says. I wait.


    ¡°What? No kick for Dad?¡± I glare at sis.


    ¡°Please, if you would, do me, us, the honor of offering a moment of silence to my Father, who passed away before realizing his dream...¡± Ruby bows her head. Everyone does the same.


    ¡°I thank you.¡± That was one long ass moment there... She continues. ¡°As the child of my Father. As his successor, I feel it is my sworn responsibility to see to it that his dying wish comes true. It is because of it that I have asked you all here today. It fills my heart with deepest gratitude, having all of you, agree to my selfish wishes.¡±


    ¡°Oh lords, really...¡± Mom cracks too.


    ¡°Please, allow me to thank you all for coming here today, by making a pledge before you that we will see to it that this world is eradicated of the curse, that has plagued this land for centuries. Along with the Rebirth Research Division and the help from the Land of Race, we shall continue going strong toward victory!¡± Ruby raises her golden glass into the air. A roar rumbles across the hall.


    ¡°Well now.¡± Dad smiles, raising his glass.


    ¡°Impressive.¡± Mom agrees.


    ¡°She didn''t leave anyone any options.¡± Tyro joins in too. The cheers don''t stop for a few minutes.


    ¡°Is that why the whole thing is an open stage?¡± I watch the people by the entrance. If it weren''t for the line of warriors, the hall would be overrun by now. Oh. Rixa''s there too. So is Arra. Serving as a link between the shadows. That eases my mind a little.


    ¡°Now then. A few words from the head of the RRD, Percival Skyrider.¡± Ruby says and sits down.


    ¡°She works fast.¡± Rei whispers.


    ¡°She''s gotta.¡± Ro says. We watch Uncle get up from his seat.


    ¡°It is with great honor that I address you all today. It is with even greater pleasure that I thank the Original Nations for their cooperation and aid to our cause.¡±


    ¡°He makes it sound like this is charity we¡¯re talking about!¡± It kinda pisses me off.


    ¡°All part of the plan.¡± Mom smiles.


    ¡°The RRD has been able to contribute to many things along the way, toward its main goal. None of which would have been possible if it weren''t for the Great Archives of Primerias.¡± He says and pauses. Aunty Ocana stands up next to him and nods. Uncle continues.


    ¡°The Greenhouses of Ballista.¡± A pair of Balli men stand up from the crowd and nod.


    ¡°The Vine-yards of Noxanda.¡± The new Headmaster Sarrim stands up and bows.


    ¡°And of course, The Stables of Cornutora.¡± A single Cornutese male stands up half-bent and sits back down. Uncle Percy keeps going.


    ¡°Each and every one of these nations have been a tremendous influence on our path toward success. As well as Grand Master Emalavi of Araneum and her team. Without the cooperation of these five key figures, our research division would not have been able to go to such lengths or achieve such greatness. It is all thanks to you that we are able to do our best. I thank you all.¡± Uncle Percy bows and holds it for a moment.


    ¡°Please, a few words from the current, Chief of Staff of the RRD, Ether Tallen Evergreen.¡± Uncle sits down and cuz stands up next.


    ¡°Thank you. I feel honored to be part of this joyous occasion. It is high privilege to be the one to inform you that thanks to the mutual efforts of the RRD and all of you here, we have been able to improve not only, going forward and uncovering the secrets of Rebirth and the Castle of Despair, but also contributing greatly to everyday life of warriors and non-combatants alike. For that, you have my deepest gratitude.¡± Ether bows and holds it for a moment too. He straightens out and continues.


    ¡°It fills me with immense pride to be the one to say this. The RRD''s Chief of Medical Research, my Mother, Lady Laira Evergreen.¡± Cuz sits down grinning and Aunty stands tall, with Uncle Marcus joining Ether and his grin, sitting tall and proud in the middle of his wife and son.


    ¡°Can we cheer now?¡± I ask quietly.


    ¡°Sit tight.¡± Rei low key growls at me.


    ¡°Wait for it.¡± Dad says too.


    ¡°We, at the RRD take pride in our work not for the results achieved, but for the grounds those achievements are built on.¡± Aunty speaks firm and calm. "Our greatest breakthrough, which took us years of extensive research to modify, has been based upon something that once was revered as the greatest sin and now it saves lives! One of which is my dear husband.¡± She places her hand on Uncle''s left shoulder.


    ¡°Wait, he never...¡±


    ¡°They don''t know that.¡± Ty cuts me off.


    ¡°A direct appeal to the frail hearts of the people?¡± Mom whispers.


    ¡°Everything so far has been going like clockwork.¡± Dad agrees.


    ¡°Only through working together can we move forward towards the better future. It is my deepest wish, as it was the late King''s, that we make it happen. We look forward to working with you.¡± Aunty Laira bows and slowly sits down. Aunty Ocana stands up tall next.


    ¡°Fellow representatives of the Founding Nations.¡± She speaks loud and clear.


    ¡°Hoo, she isn''t wasting any time with this, is she.¡±


    ¡°Definitely a scary opponent we have growing up here.¡± Mom seconds Dad.


    ¡°Allow Repperi, to be the first among you, to express its gratitude to the Queen of Araneum, to the RRD and to you all, for your hard work.¡± She bows. ¡°We offer our services to you in the future as we have been to this day.¡± Aunty sits down. The same pair of Balli men stand up from their table next.


    ¡°Cobalus will continue providing its aid to the Concord and the Union.¡± The younger man bows clumsily.


    ¡°We''re up.¡± Dad gets ready. He and mom stand up as soon as the Balli sit down.


    ¡°Astri will do everything in its power to help the Alliance.¡± Dad says and they nod. A rumble ripples away around us. What''s their deal? Our Parents sit down. Two Cornutese stand up next.


    ¡°The Stables and Venatus shall continue our cooperation.¡± They bow real quick and sit down. Uncle Marcus stands up next.


    ¡°The RRD welcomes all of you, honored guests and citizens alike, to take an up-close look of the achievements and inventions of our fruitful research, for the next five days, right here in Araneum. Browse at your heart¡¯s contents.¡± He smiles and sits down.


    ¡°Mmh. Nice touch.¡± Dad says.


    ¡°Indeed. Military connections have been the only thing that kept the RRD alive. This way they are appealing to the people more. If they learn to trust their methods, it would benefit not only the RRD, but Araneum and the Nations as well.¡± Mom adds.


    ¡°What do you mean if?¡±


    ¡°People have been cautious, to say the least, of the Rebirth and everything related to it. Uncle''s efforts haven''t been able to convince them that their methods are safe.¡± Ty says.


    ¡°Even after what? 30 years?¡±


    ¡°Fraid so. This is a chance for them to really show off. They aren''t doing this for themselves, but rather for the people, so.¡± Ro finishes.


    ¡°Right. Gotchya. We should go then.¡± I smile.


    ¡°You''re more than welcome to.¡± Mom nods. Ruby stands up next.


    ¡°With that said, I am pleased to announce that the official part of today has ended. Now, we feast!¡± Music roars quickly, with servants carrying trays and drinks.


    ¡°All of this circus was necessary solely to keep the RRD alive and get everyone to play nice.¡± Reina hammers it in.


    ¡°Precisely.¡± Tyro says.


    ¡°And she did it terrifyingly beautifully.¡± Dad agrees.


    ¡°As guests we weren''t informed of the line up or the times for speeches. I can see now why.¡± Mom says. ¡°She even accounted for drinks and the food to be purposely served after. Not during.¡±


    ¡°What ya mean?¡± I ask taking a sip of the vine.


    ¡°Remember how uncle Percy took his time naming every nation. He included the source and the nation on purpose. Allowing for either one to respond later.¡± Ro explains it. Oh yeah.


    "That''s why aunty Ocana was the first one to speak and they didn''t introduce her as part of the RRD."


    I think about it. ¡°Clever.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Mom agrees.


    ¡°Without the food in front of everyone they didn¡¯t have a choice, but to focus on the speeches, allowing us to ¡°pitch in¡±, as if it were the natural flow of things.¡± Dad adds.


    ¡°Was it wise for her to improvise so much? What if someone wanted to say something back?¡± I ask passing the plates over to the Parents.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t give that option. All that gratitude and future cooperation that she and the RRD were putting it out there¡­ She¡¯s not a fan of this whole circus either¡­ So to move this along fast she forced her way through...¡± Sis says. Right. Guess so. Wait.


    ¡°Quick question. What happens after the Rebirth is gone?¡± Ty and Rei throw me quick glances and stare at our Parents.


    ¡°There''s always the Rebellion to deal with.¡± Dad''s fast.


    ¡°True. I would hope they would find more peaceful ways to do it, though... Despite¡­ Waging war against them is always an option, but, perhaps if it''s her then...¡± Mom says quietly. I know why she said it this way. But¡­ I can¡¯t bring myself to forgive the Rebellion just yet¡­ If ever¡­ We save the talks for after dinner and try to enjoy the festivities. Rather difficult to do, I''d say. With all of that pent up tension in the air. The noise outside picks up.


    ¡°Something going on?¡± I try to see.


    ¡°Just another party roaring.¡± Ether comes over with his Parents.


    ¡°Oh? More mingling?¡± Mom says.


    ¡°Something like it.¡± Uncle Marcus winks. ¡°We''re to make sure everything is to your liking.¡± He nods dramatically.


    ¡°Percy and Ocana are busy elsewhere.¡± Aunty Laira adds. ¡°They''ll come around later.¡±


    ¡°An outstanding performance, if I may.¡± Mom says sipping the vine.


    ¡°Why thank you.¡± Uncle grins. ¡°It was my best work!¡± We laugh.


    ¡°Ty''s missing.¡± Rei says. I look around and freeze.


    ¡°Weee might have a problem...¡± I point forward. ¡°Should we stop him?¡±


    ¡°Leave him be.¡± Mom doesn''t even look.


    ¡°He''s an improvement over the geezer Harrenis.¡± Aunty says.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t that the previous headmaster of the Greenhouses?¡± I keep my eyes locked on bro.


    ¡°Sure is;¡± Uncle Marcus agrees; ¡°and by the looks of things he''s on his lasts legs. Dancing with the Queen must be his dying wish.¡±


    I look up at uncle. ¡°You don''t really hold back, do you?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± He winks at me.


    ¡°We''ll be going now then.¡± Aunty curtsies. We nod. I watch my little brother. The sneaky devil.


    ¡°May I have this dance?¡± Dad asks for Rei''s hand. I stare at Mom with a stupid grin. She has a warm smile on her.


    ¡°You''re kidding.¡± Sis stares at him.


    ¡°Trust your old man.¡± He grabs her hand and pulls her after him. They end up on the dance floor and I kick back in my chair to witness the, probably, one and only time when Reina freaks out in public.


    ¡°You''re enjoying this too much.¡± Mom says.


    ¡°Oh come on, how can I not? She never loses her cool, except that one time, maybe, but this is like totally new... Wait. She''s actually good! How!¡± I pout.


    ¡°Of course, she is. You¡¯re our kids, after all. How do you think Tyro''s doing it for the first time?¡±


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re telling me I can do it too?¡±


    ¡°All they are doing is swaying and side stepping.¡± Mom explains.


    ¡°Like dodging during sparring?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± She nods. I watch Dad and Rei dance. I feel anxious. When did Ether get there? Who''s that he''s dancing with? Why is he so good at it too! Grr. I stand up and hold my hand out.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Mom takes it and we go too.


    ¡°Swaying and dodging, right?¡± I whisper.


    ¡°Take it a step at a time. My dress will cover the rough movements, and don''t step on my feet.¡± She smiles at me and we turn. Oooh. I get it.


    ¡°This is fun. Oh, shoot. Almost lost my footing there.¡±


    ¡°Think of it as evading in a tight spot. Step where the other one steps.¡± Mom keeps giving me quick advice. I grin silly.


    ¡°Look over there.¡± Dad asked Aunty Ocana for a dance too, with Ether taking over Rei now. ¡°Is everyone here a noble?¡±


    ¡°More or less. Technically, no. They are more or less decorated family names with descendants of war heroes from ancient past. Either against the Rebellion or the Rebirth.¡±


    ¡°Like you and Dad?¡± I look at Mom. She gives me a sad gaze with a smile.


    The next day the five of us, Burla and Ether included, head into the City for the RRD exposition. Nothing we didn''t know yet. Considering how close our families are, the three of us have always known the RRD''s secrets. Nonetheless, I find it fun to look around up-close like that.


    ¡°There are way more people here than we expected.¡± Burla says.


    ¡°Perhaps last night¡¯s performance made its impact.¡± Ty answers.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any bigshots around.¡± Reina points it out.


    ¡°We have a separate exposition set up for them. For safety purposes.¡± Ether answers. Of course.


    ¡°Then how come we''re here?¡± I let it slip.


    ¡°Cause we can handle ourselves.¡± Rei answers. ¡°Besides, I had enough of the pompous royalty...¡± Good point.


    ¡°What''s that?¡± I point to a contraption and go over before anyone answers me. I stand at the back of the crowd. I can see just fine anyways. A Balli male, a Cornutese female and a boy Noxian stand next to a mini version of a Water Wheel.


    ¡°Now we know, this is not exactly a heart, but please, bear with us.¡± The girl says. ¡°So, for our demonstration, try to imagine that this;¡± she gestures to the entire set up; ¡°is a heart.¡±


    ¡°Couldn''t you have used a real one?¡± I whisper to Ether. ¡°I''m sure it would leave a bigger impact.¡±


    ¡°If you wanna volunteer, I''d be more than happy to help.¡± I feel Reina''s Vines slithering on my skin.


    The chill shakes my head for me. ¡°I''m good, thanks. Was just a joke...¡± I keep my eyes forward.


    ¡°Now, the water - is the blood.¡± The girl dies it red. ¡°The wheel is the heart and together they make up a body. But what happens when the blood stops?¡± The Balli hammers the dam in and it breaks. The "blood" spills and the wheel stops. The girl starts chanting and a gust of air starts moving the wheel again. A wave of oohhs rolls over the people. The Noxian boy begins fixing the wood. A Ravo. Ok. The Balli chants something too, holding the water in its tracks, to prevent spiling. Less scarier than a Leto... They are trying really hard to make this as friendly to the people as possible... The Cornutese continues.


    ¡°See. The body would die without the blood for the heart to pump. However. Our research has led us to this.¡± She keeps moving her hands in and out in waves, to keep the wheel spinning slowly, while her partners fix the whole thing up.


    ¡°Shamanic casting allows us to keep the heart going, keeping the person alive, allowing the medical staff to operate on the person, saving their life.¡± The water flow is restored and the girl stops her casting.


    ¡°Clever.¡± I whisper. ¡°I¡¯m guessing there were enforcement spells involved?¡±


    ¡°Good call.¡± Ether nods.


    ¡°The Ravo''s a nice addition. Saving the trouble of several models?¡±


    ¡°More or less.¡± Burla says. ¡°Keep watching.¡± The Ravo takes a hammer and smashes into the same spot as the Balli before. The dam holds. Another wave of oohhs. The Ravo smashes a different place and it cracks. He quickly reinforces the crack with his Vines.


    ¡°Working together like this, we can save more lives than ever before.¡± The Cornutese girl says. ¡°Does anyone have any questions?¡± Hoho. I smile and we slowly retreat.


    ¡°Ether, was it Uncle Percival who came up with everything?¡± Tyro asks.


    ¡°Everything from last night and what you see here.¡± He confirms.


    ¡°Had a feeling that might be the case.¡± Rei agrees.


    ¡°It wasn''t Father alone, everyone helped.¡± Burla adds.


    ¡°No need to be modest.¡± Ether puts his hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°Hey, is there a stand for the bone puppet thing?¡± I cut in, looking around.


    ¡°Vine-Limb Attachment. VLA, for short. Should be around here, somewhere.¡± Ether says. We start scanning the square. A bone rattle reaches me and I quickly run off. A Primerian male and a Noxian female work at the VLA stand. A rabbit with a wooden paw and a bird with a wooden wing sit in a cage in front of the people. With some bones laid out under the glass too. The others finally catch up.


    ¡°Would it kill you to gives us a heads up?¡± Rei''s famous jab to the ribs crookeds me over, a little.


    ¡°Shh.¡± I let out and try to listen. Nothing we haven''t heard before.


    ¡°The bird... You rip its wing off for this?¡±


    ¡°Rei...¡± Ether sighs. She ain''t wrong though...


    ¡°No.¡± Burla answers. ¡°I see your attitude is as every bit as Big Brother said it is.¡± I turn a little to see them.


    ¡°It was like that at first, but Aunty Laira didn''t like it. That''s why the research went on and off.¡± Our youngest cousin says.


    ¡°What changed?¡± Sis, come on¡­


    ¡°Me. Probably. One day I brought home an injured mouse that I found near the cabin... That''s when Mom got the idea to ask the local children in the city to bring any injured animals to us.¡± Ether says.


    ¡°Later on the RRD even asked the farmers to give up weaker, injured or sick livestock. That way we had plenty of test subjects, without having to make them...¡± Burla finishes.


    ¡°Is the Base doing the same then?¡± Tyro asks. Burla nods.


    ¡°That''s a Mancer?¡± I watch the male conjure different bones, animal ones too... ¡°I thought you can''t mix marrow just like blood?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But we discovered that conjured bones are marrow-less.¡± Burla answers. ¡°They are a little bit less sturdy and break easier, but we found their application in the medical field to be irreplaceable. During combat too. The only other major downside is that Mancer¡¯s can¡¯t conjure joints.


    ¡°How so?¡± Ro comes in closer.


    ¡°Apparently bones and joints differ from each other in their composition. Other than that, the cast time is almost equal to Vines.¡± Ether explains. ¡°With enchantments we are able to reinforce them the same way we do Vines.¡±


    ¡°Then why use the Donor System?¡± Rei asks.


    ¡°To allow the people to be part of something greater. Something more.¡± Burla says. ¡°It shows how regular people can be part of saving lives too. Magic or no magic.¡±


    ¡°That Aunty Laira''s idea too? Ro says.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ether nods.


    ¡°How are supposed to know that it will hold?¡± A voice from the crowd yells.


    ¡°My father has a hand made from this.¡± I know that voice. ¡°Been using it for over a good decade. Works just fine.¡± I look around for the voice.


    ¡°Then why ain''t he here?¡± The first voice is itching to start a fight.


    ¡°He''s old and tired.¡± The second voice answers, forcing a quick chuckle from the people.


    ¡°Xan, over there.¡± Ro points.


    ¡°Tony! Long time no see!¡± I breach my way over to our long-lost cousin. ¡°How''s Uncle Jack?¡± I hug her.


    ¡°Get off me.¡± He growls into my ear. I let her go.


    ¡°How I have missed your cold attitude.¡± I tell her with a smile.


    ¡°Hi, Anthona, been well?¡± Reina comes over too.


    ¡°More or less.¡±


    ¡°Good to see you.¡± Tyro stands next to me too. The crowd begins their whispers. We ignore them.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Tony nods.


    ¡°I believe this is the first time we''re meeting.¡± Ether offers his hand. ¡°Ether Tallen Evergreen. Pleased to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Tallen? The Mage''s kid?¡± Tony stares Ether down.


    ¡°One and only.¡± Ether keeps his hand out. Tony finally shakes it.


    ¡°I''m Burla Skyrider, it''s nice to meet you, Anthona.¡± Burla too, offers her hand to Tony.


    ¡°Wasn''t counting on a ¡°family¡± reunion.¡± She shakes it all annoyed.


    ¡°Well, that''s life for you. Is Uncle here, in the City?¡± I ask.


    ¡°No. He said it''s a pain. He stayed behind.¡±


    ¡°Been here long?¡± Ro comes over closer to Tony.


    ¡°A while.¡±


    ¡°We''d love for you to join us for lunch, our Parents would love to see you too.¡± Burla adds. Tony mumbles something. I think I heard the word drag...


    ¡°Pardon the interruption.¡± Ether bows to the Mancer and the Ravo.


    ¡°Not at all!¡± The Ravo is quick to answer.


    ¡°Keep up the good work.¡± Reina adds and we slowly walk away.


    ¡°Of course, my lords!¡± The girl squeals and bows.


    ¡°Lords?¡± The Mancer asks.


    ¡°Those are the three heirs of Noxanda...¡± The Ravo answers loud enough for the crowd to hear.


    ¡°Is that why they insisted on us wearing the insignias?¡± Rei looks at her pendant. The inverted dark blue, almost black, triangle with a silver moon at the top, a blue star on the right and a red drop of blood on the left. With claw marks at the bottom. The entire thing is encrusted with tiny jewels. Never letting us forget our origins and the struggles... Even the claw marks go from the red tips, with the silver going to the ends... The symbol of the pain our people had to endure to secure a peaceful life here on Terra... I stare at my bracer...


    ¡°Don''t tell me this was all according to Uncle''s plan too?¡± I whisper to Burla. She flinches and does not answer me. I sigh. Oh well. The now six of us, with Tony tagging along, return to our Inn.

 22. The Choice

    We jump out of the carriage and stumble inside the cabin.


    ¡°Did we make it?¡± Dad asks Aunty Ocana.


    ¡°Barely. Upstairs.¡± She says. ¡°Percival is doing the best he can, but...¡±


    ¡°I''m sure he is.¡± Mom says. ¡°I hope you can forgive us for pushing him so much.¡± She tells Aunty as we rush over to see Uncle Marcus. Burla stands next to the open bedroom door. She sees us and moves out of the way. She''s drained too... I nod to her and walk inside. Aunty Laira sits next to the bed, holding Uncle''s hand. Ether stands next to her. Uncle Percy is on the other side of the bed, with his hand on Uncle''s shoulder, muttering something to himself. We don''t have much time... I walk over to Ether and take his hand... He squeezes it, hard. I don''t flinch. Mom and Dad stand next to Uncle Percy. Xan and Ro take their places at the end of the bed. Xander''s face tells me he can''t process this. He grips the wooden panel and freezes...


    ¡°Marcus, we''re all here now...¡± Aunty speaks quietly... He opens his eyes. White... He''s completely blind... I trace my gaze down his face to his hand... His fingers resemble a skeleton with the skin stretched over...


    ¡°Aah, finally, I can say my goodbyes to you all...¡± His voice is hoarse... ¡°Ether, my son...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Dad.¡± Ether takes his Father''s hand.


    ¡°I''m so proud of you... Thank you, for letting me be your dad...¡±


    ¡°I love you, Dad...¡±


    ¡°I love you too, son... Reina dear...¡± My body trembles from the sound of my name in his dying tone...


    ¡°Yes, Uncle.¡± I lean down, and take his hand from Ether''s fingers.


    ¡°Ah, there you are... Good... Please... Take care of Ether for me...¡±


    ¡°Yes, Uncle...¡± I break silently and step back...


    ¡°Cri, you there?¡±


    ¡°Right here, old friend...¡± Dad takes Uncle''s hand. ¡°This is not what you promised me...¡± He says with a jokingly smile and tears. Uncle tries to smile too...


    ¡°I lied... Serves you right...¡± He says and Dad cries silently with the same pained smile on his face...


    ¡°Marcus...¡± Mom takes over from Dad...


    ¡°Breeze... I owe my life... To you and Percival¡­¡±


    Mom shakes her head. ¡°Don''t say it. I didn''t do anything to...¡± She cries quietly too...


    ¡°You insult me... Don''t deny it... I would have died on that island...¡± Uncle speaks slowly... Mom lets his hand go and covers up her face...


    ¡°Xan, Ro?¡± Uncle calls out with his weak voice.


    ¡°Right here, Uncle.¡± Ty puts his hand on Uncle''s leg. Xan puts his hand down too...


    ¡°Good... Thank you, for seeing me off... It means so much to me...¡±


    ¡°Yes, Uncle...¡± Xan answers in tears... Ro looks away, but he can''t hide his pain either...


    ¡°Ocana, Burla?¡± Uncle Marcus calls out again.


    ¡°We''re here.¡± She and Burla stand in the doorway.


    ¡°Thank you... Please, take care of Percy...¡±


    ¡°Naturally!¡± Burla answers and the two women weep together...


    ¡°Please, look after them for me...¡± Uncle says to us all... ¡°It''s ok now, Percy, thank you. Let go...¡± Uncle Marcus asks. Uncle Percy stops his mumbling, lowering his arm...


    ¡°Laira, I love you.¡± Uncle Marcus says, with the last of his breath...


    ¡°I love you too, Marcus. So much. I love you...¡± Aunty whispers... A smile freezes on Uncle''s face...


    ¡°Don''t go...¡± Aunty leans over... ¡°DON''T LEAVE ME!!¡± She crashes over the dead body of Uncle Marcus.... Xan storms out of the room. Ro follows him. Uncle Percy drops to his knees. Mom crouches down next to him. He looks half dead himself. I hold Ether to my chest... I feel his tears soak through the fabric...


    ¡°Don''t worry about me...¡± Uncle Percy whispers, taking a potion.


    ¡°We''ll take care of him.¡± Aunty Ocana and Burla help Uncle up and walk him out of the room. A noise outside catches my attention. I look out the window.


    ¡°Xan''s fighting Ty.¡± I say to nobody, watching my twin hold our Youngest by the throat. He''s not even fighting back...


    ¡°I''ll go.¡± Dad leaves. Mom hesitates, but comes over to Aunty Laira... Dad splits my brothers up and gets into a shouting match with Xander... He knows he can''t beat Dad... He doesn''t even try...


    ¡°Idiot...¡± I mumble...


    ¡°I apologize for Xan... He...¡± Mom can¡¯t even find a decent excuse... Ether turns his head to the side.


    ¡°It''s fine... I can''t even move right now... My feelings and emotions are raging inside of me, but my body refuses to move... The pain is just too much... Having him rampage in my place is somewhat refreshing...¡± He says with a dead smile... Aunty Laira continues to cry, hunched over Ether''s Father...


    ¡°We''ll get everything ready. Stay with them...¡± Mom says and leaves the room. Tears don''t stop sliding down my face... It hurts soo much... Was there really nothing we could do? Will I have to lose Ether this way too one day? The horror of that shakes me to my core. I rest my head on Ether and hold him tighter... No... No... Please... Neither one of us move... All I hear are the sounds outside, letting us know of the countdown when we need to let Uncle Marcus go... Dad and Uncle Percy walk into the room.


    ¡°Laira...¡± Dad says...


    ¡°NO!¡± She screams out. ¡°NO! You can¡¯t have him!!¡± She clutches onto his dead body... Ether pulls himself away from me and hugs his Mother.


    ¡°Mom...¡± He speaks softly...


    ¡°NO!¡± Aunty is shattering to pieces right in front of us... ¡°I''ll do it...¡± She manages to lift herself up. ¡°Wait for us.¡± She tells us. I get up and leave the room together with Dad and Uncle. Ether joins us in the hall a long moment later. Ro and Xan stand on the stairs. Ty looks horrible, Xan even worse... I glance over at Dad and Uncle... Nobody is handling his death any better... Aunty shows herself in the door way.


    ¡°He''s ready.¡± She says in a lifeless voice, stepping out of the way. Dad, Uncle, Ro and Xan walk inside the room. Ro and Xan take the wooden door of its hinges and lay it on the floor. Dad and Uncle take the wrapped-up in cloth Uncle Marcus and transfer his body from the bed to the door. The four of them carry him out to the hall. I use the Vines to carefully secure Uncle, encasing him in a box... They slowly carry him down the stairs and to the outside, to the back yard... The three of us follow Uncle out and join up with the women, taking our places next to fire place... Mom hugs me to her. Ether embraces Aunty. Burla and Aunty Ocana huddle up together too... The four men carefully place Uncle down. They back up and Meteor sets the place on fire... He roars to the sky and the rest of the dragons join him. My heart breaks... The rest of our family gathers around me and Mom, with Uncle Percy returning back to his girls... Both, Aunty and Ether, crash to their knees, crying out as their sorrow takes over... Our bodies move by themselves. Everyone kneels next to those two... The fire crackles, turning our precious family member to ashes... I stare at Uncle and his family... Why... Is this our punishment? Is this the price we must pay for being here? Watch our loved ones die out one by one? Can I handle that much suffering? I look back at my own family... I take a long, hard look at our Parents... How many deaths have they witnessed? The fire begins to lessen... It won''t be much longer... One by one we line up again. We leave the grieving family to themselves for the rest of the burning... Ether''s the first out of the two to snap back to reality. Mom hands me the metal box, wrapped up in a robe that belonged to Uncle Marcus... I take it from her and stand next to Ether. He steps forward and begins his chanting. The Herbs from his palms move down into the hot ashes, surrounding them, a gust of Air picks the ashes up and guides them inside the box in my arms. Dad puts the lid on and seals it. I give the urn back to Ether. He kneels down, next to his Mother. She takes Uncle Marcus for one last embrace and holds him tight... Our procession moves from the fire place to the giant tree with the Noxian flower shrub in a full-out-of-season-bloom. Aunty Laira uses her Vines to gently lower the box into the hole in the ground by the tree roots.


    ¡°Rest well, my love... Wait for me...¡± She whispers, taking a handful of the earth and scattering it on top of the urn. The rest of us do the same... One by one we throw the dirt down into the hole... Sky comes over and nudges some of it with his nose. Storm and Shrimp follow his lead, with Meteor ending the burial... Nobody says anything...


    It''s been a few weeks now since we got back from Existara. We find Xander hollowed up in his room. He hasn''t been the same since the funeral...


    ¡°You ok?¡± I ask, sitting down on his bed.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Don''t you think you¡¯re taking this a bit too hard?¡± Rei says.


    ¡°No.¡± Xan answers sharp and cold.


    Rei takes the empty seat next to his desk. ¡°Xan, we all knew this would happen...¡±


    ¡°Doesn''t mean it doesn''t hurt.¡± Well, he''s not wrong...


    ¡°Is there anything we can do to help you?¡± I ask again.


    ¡°No.¡± He answers me... ¡°I¡¯ve had enough...¡± He whispers...


    ¡°Enough what?¡± I stare at my brother''s back.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough...¡±


    ¡°Do you want us to leave?¡± Rei asks too.


    ¡°I¡¯VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!! NEVER DOING ANYTHING!!¡± Xander sweeps the papers of his desk... His sketches scatter across the floor... I pick one up¡­ The face of young Uncle Marcus smiles at me from the piece of paper¡­ I look at the canvases in the corner from his ¡°painting fever¡± phase from the time we went to the ¡°RRD ball...¡± I smile and look back at Uncle¡­ He really nailed it¡­


    ¡°What DO WE know about ANYTHING!! What hardships HAVE WE ENDURED!!¡± Xan yells at nothing. Reina and I glance at each other...


    ¡°Have you forgotten?¡± Rei speaks calmly. ¡°Mom and Dad always told us how they wish for us to never know the struggles and the suffering they had to go through...¡±


    ¡°Nor do we have to take over the world to make something of ourselves. That¡¯s what we¡¯ve been taught, Xan. That it¡¯s ok to live a boring life¡­¡± I add to Rei¡¯s words.


    ¡°Yeah and?¡± Xan scowls. ¡°So it''s alright for them to have lost everything dear to them, so that we can live happy and carefree?¡± I can¡¯t say I disagree¡­ Our happiness is based on their struggles¡­ But that¡¯s exactly why our Parents taught us these thing¡­


    Life is not supposed to be measured by the amount of struggles one goes through. It¡¯s not supposed to be a competition of who deserves more happiness based on the amount of pain they lived through. It¡¯s ok not to take part in that race for greatness. It¡¯s ok to take it slow and easy if that is what makes you happy. It¡¯s ok to live your lives the way it makes you happy. There is no need to compare yourself to others because everyone is different. There are no two personalities and people completely alike and neither should their lives be. Do what makes you happy even if it is "nothing¡­" It¡¯s ok to take on challenges if you want to. But they shouldn¡¯t destroy you in the process and you should never kill yourself over them or beat yourself over them in case you fail. It¡¯s ok to push yourself over your limits. But it¡¯s also ok to know those limits and leave them be. Chose a pace that is comfortable for you and you will always live your life in your comfort zone. That¡¯s when life becomes truly great. When you are your own comfort zone, then no matter where you are or what you do, you will always be happy. You¡¯ll be able to overcome the challenges and strive for growth, strive for change. You¡¯ll be able to move forward with your heads held high not because you¡¯ll be doing it the right way or the way everyone does it, but because you¡¯ll be doing it the smart way, that suits you and your life, not someone else¡¯s... Those are the words our Parent¡¯s spoke to us¡­


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Xan...¡± Rei struggles for words...


    ¡°You can''t tell me it doesn''t bother you that we get to enjoy ourselves here while the rest of them...¡± I¡¯ve never heard bro''s voice be so tense and full of suffering...


    ¡°What exactly HAVE WE BEEN DOING all our lives!! Huh!!¡± Xan rampages again. ¡°SQUAT!¡± He smashes his fists into the wooden table. ¡°44 years and NOTHING TO SHOW FOR!!!¡± He has a point... ¡°We''ve been fortunate enough...¡± He stops¡­


    ¡°44 years¡­ Half the life span of anyone else¡­ Yet by our standards we are still GREEN!!¡± Rei and I look at each other again. Yeah, she gets where this is coming from too¡­ Bro continues.


    ¡°We couldn''t do anything when grandparents died...¡±


    ¡°Killing others doesn¡¯t bring anyone back to life¡­ You know that¡­¡± Sis tells Xan quietly¡­


    ¡°EVEN IF!... Even if I understand it¡­ I still wish¡­¡± Our Eldest struggles for words... I understand his feelings... But...


    ¡°That you could have gone over there to kill? Would that have made you feel better about yourself? Do you hate Mom for stopping you then? Is that IT?¡± Rei¡¯s reaching her limit¡­ Xander finally gazes up at her.


    ¡°We saw you and Mom that night.¡± I speak now. Bro turns to me and stares. ¡°We knew you¡¯d go, but we weren¡¯t sure if we should stop you or come with you, so we waited¡­ When Mom showed herself, we almost jumped out too, but Dad stopped us. We saw everything that happened between you two¡­¡± Xan¡¯s expression tells me that he had no clue about this¡­


    ¡°I understood how you felt back then and I understand how you feel now, but this time¡­ There really isn¡¯t anything that we can do to make this better¡­¡± I die down again.


    ¡°I see¡­ So, you knew¡­¡± He says. We don¡¯t answer.


    ¡°I don''t know about you, but I have been feeling nothing, but useless for years now...¡±


    ¡°Since when?¡± Rei asks carefully.


    ¡°Since we returned from Primerias. That was the last real useful thing we did, for Noxanda¡¯s sake¡­¡±


    ¡°That was ages ago¡­¡± I whisper.


    ¡°We have been helping our People out since then too¡­¡± Rei adds.


    ¡°Even so¡­ I can¡¯t help, but feel like a selfish bastard¡­¡± Neither one of us says anything...


    ¡°As such. I¡¯ve decided.¡± Xan says. ¡°I¡¯m going back. I¡¯m fighting the Rebirth.¡± Reina and I stare at him for a good moment.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t serious.¡± Sis says.


    ¡°Dead serious.¡±


    ¡°That''s exactly what you''ll be if you go!¡± Sis jumps of her chair and so does Xander. I¡¯ve seen this happen enough times. They take off.


    ¡°I can¡¯t exactly sit here and do nothing!¡±


    ¡°It''s not our fight!¡±


    ¡°SO THAT MAKES IT ALRIGHT FOR ETHER TO DIE TOMORROW!!!¡±


    ¡°DON¡¯T DRAG HIM INTO THIS!!!¡±


    ¡°THE HELL WITH THAT!! YOU KNOW HE¡¯S GOING! HE CAN DIE OUT THERE! YOU CAN¡¯T TELL ME YOU¡¯RE FINE WITH THAT!!¡±


    ¡°OF COURSE IM NOT!!¡± Reina roars. Tears shine in her eyes... Xan sees them too.


    ¡°That''s why I''ll go. I can at least make sure he gets out of there in one piece...¡± He says calmly and gets slapped in the face.


    ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE USE US AS AN EXCUSE! I REFUSE TO BE THE REASON FOR YOUR DEATH!!¡±


    ¡°THEN WHAT DO YOU WANT!! HUH!!! Mom and Dad told you to go!! Several times!! All this time you could have been with Ether, but you chose to stay!! WHY!¡± Xan roars too... ¡°ANSWER ME!!¡±


    ¡°BECAUSE I HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES HERE!!¡± Rei screams again.


    ¡°LIKE WHAT!!¡±


    ¡°YOU KNOW WHAT!!¡± She holds bro''s gaze.


    ¡°I SAID I WOULD TAKE CARE OF THAT!! BEING HERE, AWAY FROM HIM!! You¡¯re miserable... You¡¯ve been so all our lives¡­¡±


    ¡°That HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU!! IT WAS OUR CHOICE!!¡±


    ¡°WHAT CHOICE!! WHAT KIND OF A LOVE IS THIS!! Long distance relationship my ass!¡± Xan snarls at sister.


    ¡°YOU Mr.-fuck-everything-that-moves DON¡¯T GET TO JUDGE ME!!¡±


    ¡°YEAH WELL TELL ME THEN how thrilling IS IT EXACTLY to be making love to yourself ALL THESE YEARS!! HOW IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP ANY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT ALL OF THE SINGLES DO BY THEMSELVES!! HUH!! Just because you hear his voice inside your head when doing it!! YOU''RE FOOLING YOURSELF IF YOU BELIEVE THAT THAT OUTWEIGHS SKIN TO SKIN CONTACT!!¡± Rei''s Vines shoot out from the table and send Xan flying across the room¡­ He went too far...


    ¡°Don¡¯t you DARE!!!¡± She roars at him.


    ¡°ENOUGH! I HATE IT WHEN YOU TWO GET LIKE THAT!!¡± My patience snaps. Reina''s Vines slowly retract... Xander slides down the wall and sits on the floor. Rei breaths heavy...


    ¡°Neither one of you are more wrong or more right...¡± I tell them calmly... ¡°For the record. I never truly understood what was the point of you staying here when you love Ether so much... But I always believed it wasn''t exactly my place to tell you what to do either. Although, maybe we should have... Maybe if we pushed you more on this, you could have been happy... Xan''s right, Rei, you are miserable here...¡± I look at my sis. She doesn¡¯t answer me...


    ¡°Our Parents never wanted us getting involved in anything Rebirth related. They told us that multiple times. Their past has nothing to do with our future. But they also taught us to decide our lives for ourselves. I agree with Xander that we haven''t exactly been doing much here. Noxanda''s steadily getting back on its feet... Right now, there''s not much we can do here...¡± I pause for a moment, looking my siblings over.


    ¡°We already know that Existara is different from here. I''d be lying if I said that I don¡¯t want to know more about it... There''s nothing left for us to learn here. It might not be a bad idea to see more of our world before taking over from our Parents...¡± None of them say anything, so I continue.


    ¡°Nobody will stop us if we decide to leave. There''s still some time left till the RRD makes its move on the Rebirth. We have time for each of us to decide whether or not we want to be part of it.¡± I wait a moment again.


    ¡°If Xan wants to do it - I''ll support him. I don¡¯t exactly like the idea of leaving it all to Aunty Laira and the rest to deal with it alone either. Even if all our Parents told us that we don¡¯t have to it, both, Ether and Burla, decided to stick with it. I admire that. I¡¯m not exactly keen on dying, but perhaps all of us together have a better chance at it... I do believe, you should spend as much with Ether as you can too, Rei. You''ll regret it if you let him go... You know that...¡± I look at sis. She turns away from me.


    ¡°Nice speech, bro.¡± Xan says calmly now. ¡°Only one thing. I said I will go. You¡¯re not obligated to get involved.¡±


    ¡°Wrong. The last thing I refuse to do is sit safely here, twiddling my thumbs. I''m not saying this out of my inferiority complex because of my lack of Magic. I''m saying this because that is simply not an option for me.¡± I stare bro down.


    ¡°You just want another shot with Ruby.¡± Rei finally hisses at me.


    ¡°Oh well, that I can totally understand.¡± Xan mocks me too.


    ¡°Ha ha, hilarious you two.¡± I squint at them. We laugh nervously a little...


    ¡°So?¡± Xan says.


    ¡°I''ll go.¡± Rei whispers...


    ¡°Then it''s decided.¡± I agree.


    ¡°They''ll be pissed...¡± Xan whispers...


    ¡°They sure will be...¡±


    Our Trio walks up to us with stone cold expressions, carrying a bag each. Breeze and I quickly look at each other.


    ¡°What''s all this about?¡± I ask.


    ¡°We have something to tell you.¡± Tyro says.


    ¡°We''re listening.¡± Zarri sets the papers down. I come over closer to her.


    ¡°We decided we want to go back to Araneum and help Aunty Laira and the rest with the RRD and the Rebirth.¡± Xan lays it to us straight. My hand puts itself on Breeze''s shoulder. That doesn''t stop her... She slowly rises up from her chair. Face bloodless... Her chest takes in a gulp of air. I close my eyes...


    ¡°OVER MY DEAD BODY WILL I LET YOU LEAVE HERE!!!¡± The entire Marble Palace rings from her screams...


    ¡°I DON¡¯T CARE IF I HAVE TO TIE YOU THREE UP IN THE DUNGEON!! Her hysteria picks up with each word... She pants... Our Trio continues to stand tall still... Our worst nightmare is coming true... I don¡¯t even try to stop her...


    ¡°I''LL DICE YOU THREE UP INTO PIECES IF THAT''S WHAT IT TAKES TO KEEP YOU HERE!!!¡± She shrieks the words out and smashes her hands down on the table... She bites her lip, a blood drop appears on the skin. She licks it off and cries without a sound...


    ¡°Is what I''d like to say...¡± Zarri finally looks back at our children. ¡°But there is nothing that I can say or do to change your minds. Is there?¡± She asks and doesn¡¯t wait for answer. ¡°I can¡¯t force you stay, in exchange for you hating me for it later... But I can¡¯t give you my blessings either because this is not what I wished for you three...¡± She leans back on me.


    ¡°The fact that you three are standing here, right now, ready to leave, tell us that you have resolved yourselves to doing this, regardless of what we say.¡± I speak to them now. ¡°I feel we have lost the luxury of telling you what to do with your lives long before this moment...¡±


    ¡°We never wished for you to get involved with this, but I¡¯d be lying if I said that it does not surprise us.¡± Breeze barely holds herself together...


    ¡°We can¡¯t say we agree, nor can we be happy about this and we won¡¯t even try to pretend.¡± I say.


    ¡°You are free to do as you please.¡± Zarri says. ¡°However.¡±


    ¡°You need to understand that if you three do this. Neither we, nor Noxanda will be able to help you should something happen. Nor will you be able to use your standing either.¡± I take over again.


    ¡°We hold no authority outside of Noxanda... If something happens...¡± Breeze implies in case of incarceration or worse... ¡°You''ll be on your own. We won¡¯t be able to protect you...¡±


    ¡°We need to know that you understand that.¡± I hold her tighter...


    ¡°We do.¡± Tyro steps forward. ¡°We are aware of the risks. We won¡¯t cause you or our People trouble.¡±


    ¡°You taught us everything you know and gave us all of the tools we need to make this work.¡± Reina steps forward too.


    ¡°You raised us well. We ain¡¯t some moronoids.¡± Xan smiles at us. ¡°We won¡¯t dishonor you or Noxanda. So please. He kneels.¡± Rei and Ro follow their brother''s lead...


    ¡°Give us the order.¡± Xan says. Firm and strong. Breeze trembles in my arms... We step down a step.


    ¡°You have, but one order.¡± I start.


    ¡°Survive.¡± Zarri finishes.


    ¡°Yes!¡± The three of them answer us. I¡¯m nearing my limit too...


    ¡°Go and tell the others that too.¡± Breeze speaks again. Her voice tells me she can¡¯t take this anymore either...


    ¡°None of you are allowed to die.¡± I pass down judgement.


    ¡°Roger that.¡± Our children nod, stand up and walk out... Not even an eyeblink goes by and Glen and the rest pop up.


    ¡°Please! Let us go too!¡± Arra speaks first.


    ¡°No.¡± Glen comes over to us and kneels on the step below. ¡°I''ll go. As the one in charge of you I order you all to stay here.¡± He speaks to his team while looking at us. Breeze shakes her head.


    ¡°Must I let another child go...¡± She whispers, covering her face...


    ¡°Milady... I consider myself to have been pretty useless the last time. I don''t even know how or why I survived... Please. Let me watch over them for you...¡± The kid gently grabs Zarri''s dress and clenches it. Breeze shakes her head again.


    ¡°It pains me to see you go just as much as them.¡± I tell Glen.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He says with a sad smile.


    ¡°The HEL WITH YOU!¡± Pyro flares up. ¡°WE¡¯RE GOING TOO!¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t let them go alone!¡± Odri and Arra step forward.


    ¡°PLEASE!¡± Erin and Tigglia come closer too.


    ¡°We swore to protect them!¡± Messo is the last person to lose his patience¡­ It kinda makes me happy, seeing them this way¡­ Thank you¡­


    ¡°My Lords, please!¡± Drew runs in too.


    ¡°ENOUGH! I WILL NOT ALLOW ANOTHER SOUL OUT OF THE PALACE GROUNDS!! THE REST OF YOU SELFISH BASTARDS CAN ROT HERE HATING ME TILL THE END OF TIME!! I DON¡¯T CARE!! THERE¡¯S SO MUCH HEARTACHE I CAN HANDLE!!¡± Breeze shrieks again and crashes to her knees screaming and crying her soul out... My heart weeps together with my body as I hold on to my wife for dear life... Be safe, you stupid kiddos of ours...


    The cries of our Mother echo through the Marble Palace. The sound freezes my blood. My chest aches.


    ¡°Does anyone else have the urge to turn back and run into their arms?¡± I ask my siblings.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ty answers. His voice hasn''t sounded this fragile since we were kids. I take a glance over my shoulder. Both of them look half dead...


    ¡°We made our decision, we''re gonna have to live with it now.¡± Rei tells me cold and sharp. I turn around again and exhale painfully.


    ¡°Right. We keep walking.¡±


    ¡°No turning back.¡±


    ¡°Only forward.¡±


    Epilogue


    "Remind me again, whose bright idea was this!" Xan calls out.


    "DON''T START!" Rei roars back.


    "NOT the best time for jokes RIGHT NOW!" Ether answers too.


    I sigh. "LESS CHATTING, MORE FIGHTING!" I yell at them, covering for Burla. Tony kicks the corpse off her axe.


    "This how you always are?"


    "More or less." I mumble...