The Fire and The Storm - The Nexus of Kellaran #2

Chapter 14

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“Good day! Please, make yourselves comfortable, and serve up if you’re hungry.” Talia told them as

she indicated the available chairs and the open mossy ground beside the table.

Mark and Alilia continued eating with their eyes closed, which was a little uncanny, and their faces were

aglow with loving smiles.

“We’ve invited you by to share and discuss the latest development,” Talia continued, “Which is this; for

most of the last ten hours, all three of us have been Linked with our unborn twins. They contacted me

first, which they were capable of doing because they were already deeply Linked with each other

before that, and were able to combine their meager psionic strength to reach me. I brought Mark and

Alilia in shortly after that. Right now Mark’s trying to teach them to understand Trade Common. I think

it’s too early for his efforts to be productive in the short term, but I think he’ll succeed before they’re

born.”

“By all the missing gods!” Yzell gasped.

“I began casting the diagnostics you use right after we began.” Alilia told her with a smile, then closed

her eyes again. “And we’ve all saved a Reading of the experience, which is wonderful beyond words.

I’ll pass them to you now.”

“May we share in that? The Readings and diagnostics that is?” Yazadril asked, his eager curiosity plain

in his voice. “I don’t know if it’s wise to allow any more to have psionic contact with the babes at this

stage of their development, but other than that I want to know all I can of this! You do realize how

incredibly unprecedented this is, I’m sure!”

“We do.” Talia assured him. “And of course, we share your trepidations. There’s no way to know how

this will affect them, and perhaps it wasn’t that wise for all three of us to share in the Link with the

children. But they contacted me first, and it was so beautiful that I couldn’t exclude Mark and Alilia, so

here we are.”

She gave the visitors a few minutes to digest the Readings and diagnostics up to that point, then

brought them up to the moment in her ongoing Reading. For over an hour they all silently shared in the

experience; the visitors getting it second-hand from Talia via the ongoing Reading, so that the babes

were kept unaware of them.

Finally Yzell broke the silence. “You’re right about Mark’s teaching efforts.” she told Talia. “The babies’

brains are still changing and growing so fast, and are still so unformed, that they’re incapable of

retaining any long term memories. Anything they learn is almost completely lost a few moments later.”

“Almost completely lost, but not quite.” Mark quietly rumbled. “Besides, it’s fun, so I don’t mind

repeating the lessons as many times as it takes.”

“There is no doubt that they will be persons of unique capability.” Quewanak stated. “If they retain their

sanity, that is. Their minds will never be normal by any standard. We can only hope that they will at

least be functional.”

“They’re an empty vessel, and we’re filling it a little early.” Mark nodded. “But so long as the thoughts

we’re sharing with them are loving and healthy, I can’t see any harm in it.”

“There’s the danger that they will be unable to form their own individuality, Linked so closely with each

other as they are.” Quewanak pointed out. “Being unable to get someone else out of one’s mind has

often led to serious mental problems, including insanity. And there’s the risk that they won’t form their

own personalities, they’ll just absorb yours so completely that their minds may become no more than

copies of yours.”

“Mm. That’s truth.” Mark nodded.

“I can’t break contact with them without actually Shielding against them, and I refuse to do that, since I

think that being forcibly cut off from me would be more harmful than continuing the contact." Talia

mused. "But perhaps it would be best if Mark and Alilia took a break from it once in a while.”

“Ah. You’re probably right.” Alilia agreed. “But they’re so beautiful, I dread having to end it.

“Mark, we should withdraw after supper tonight.

“I have something to tell you and Talia. The pearl in my necklace has a spell I had Yazadril cast to tell

me when both of you truly love me, and its new red color tells me that you do. So, I ask you both now

that I be allowed to become pregnant by Mark tonight. All of these here will want to record my

conception for further study, should it prove successful.”

Mark and Talia opened their eyes and grinned at her, then they both softly told her in unison; “I love you

Alilia.”

“And I love you.” Alilia giggled as Mark moved his chair back, then reached out and placed Talia, then

Alilia, on his lap, and kissed and cuddled with them.

“These last few months have changed you, Alilia.” Yazadril chuckled as he cuddled with Nemia and

Hilsith. “And you’re a better person for it.”

“Thank you.” Alilia smiled. “I know you’re right.

“When our time here is over, I’m going to give up being Princess of The People of Life. I’ll nominate

Bezedil to take my place. He has the capability, the power, and the popularity to be confirmed in short

order, and to do a fine job of it. I’ll make Hilian my primary citizenship for the foreseeable future, at least

until these two grow tired of having me around.

“Gods, if you’d have told me a year ago that I was to soon become the junior wife of a seventeen-year-

old human, I’d have thought you were insane! I sometimes can’t believe how much has changed for

me, and how quickly!”

“Dalia will certainly be glad for Bezedil’s ascension!” Talia giggled. “She’s hidden it well, but I know she

feels a bit jealous of my higher social standing since she was restored to us. Being both Princess-

Daughter of The High People and Princess-Consort of The People of Life will give her a status almost

as great as mine, which should make her quite satisfied indeed! And a bit easier to get along with!”

“And I will be immensely proud of you both!” Nemia laughed, leaning over to kiss her daughter’s cheek.

“Bezedil’s marriage to Dalia will raise his stature in my people’s eyes quite considerably.” Alilia told

them. “Both because of her fine qualities and her stature as Princess-Daughter of The High People,

and because their engagement has ended his reputation as a somewhat wild and irresponsible youth.

She’s given him stability in their minds, and without their pending marriage I wouldn’t have considered

him for Prince yet. But with assurance of a succession, we might just form a dynasty.” she proudly

concluded.

“Well, I’ll take my leave.” Yzell smiled as she stood. “I need to store these Readings and prepare for

tonight, and besides, Theramin’s been left with the children long enough. He’ll be starting to run short

of patience soon, so it’s best I was back there.”

“We’ll be going as well.” Yazadril told them as they all stood and exchanged hugs. “Call us when you’re

ready for the conception. Nemia and I will be helping Hilsith and Yzell capture as much of the fine detail

of the event as possible at the smallest scales of time and size. We’ll have the best possible chance of

finding the solution to the fertility problem, if it’s there to be found.”

“We’ll call you then.” Talia assured them, and the small gathering broke up as the visitors took their

leave.

Alilia did indeed conceive that night. After all the various recording spells cast of the event were

finalized, and their visitors had left with many loving congratulations, the happy trio celebrated long into

the night.