The Fire and The Storm - The Nexus of Kellaran #2
Chapter 187

Part 26

"The forty-four of you are already a very distinct group due to your cohesiveness and your abilities as warlocks, and it's our intention to keep you together as a military unit. Your number will be your collective name and title, as it already informally is. We further intend that when your training is more complete, The Forty-Four, Warlock Platoon of Princes and Princesses of Hilia, will be widely known as the most formidable unit of its size in all of The Just Alliance!"

This brought a proud cheer from the forty-four and some of The Volunteers as well, and Six let it go on for a few seconds before he finished. "Now you'd better get your weapons and armor ready and checked. We'll be finished eating pretty soon."

"Yes Sir!" Kimran said as he grinned and gave a snappy salute. As he Translocated back to his group, the others couldn't decide whether he was being sarcastic or not.

When they were finished eating, the Governors gathered beside Mark, went to one knee, and bowed their heads in respect.

"Father," Six stated as they raised their heads and met his eye, "We've been assuming a lot. You still haven't formally given us permission to take military command of our brothers and sisters, or to name their unit or perform their training as we've said. We do most respectfully ask your and Mother's response to our request."

"Oh you just go right ahead!" Mark laughed as he ruffled Six's hair a bit. "I'm so pleased with your results with them that I almost don't care what you did to get them!"

"If it's something that we wouldn't approve of, I'll happily remain ignorant, I think!" Talia laughed.

"We just let them get to know us some, and let them know all their parents as we know our parents." Six shrugged with a grin.

"And we made them think we hit them in the face a few times, but we didn't." Fire giggled. "Not really. But it was really funny."

"Ah. Well that doesn't sound too excessive." Mark chuckled. "You children run along and play now, be good and stay safe and stay out of trouble."

"Yes, Father." The children chorused together, then giggled uncontrollably before Translocating downhill to the lowest lawn.

All of The Forty-Four were ready and waiting, their armor and weapons cleaned, polished, and oiled.

"All right, first things first." Six announced as the Governors appeared among them. "This is Karz, and he's one of us. I'm sure you've heard of him. Show them what you really look like, Karz." Karz assumed his natural dragon form and struck a proud pose on the lawn, and emphasized it with a huge blast of flame.

"Next is the basics, or what are basics for our family, anyway." Six continued. "Our parents never gave you The Skills of Visinniria or The Healing of Valentia, because you were too hard to control as you were without them. We'll give them to you now, along with the best combat spells we have that you can use."

The Governors cast, and The Forty-four reeled for a moment as they assimilated the massive influx of spells. As soon as they'd steadied, Six continued. "After today's activities each of you will be evaluated, and will receive individualized training to correct your personal weaknesses and to build on your best talents.

"For now we're all going to the firing range at Focus Mountain to work with what we've just given you."

With that, all forty-eight of them vanished.

A few seconds passed, then Kalem was heard to comment; "Suddenly this seems like the most peaceful spot in the universe. This is the first time I've felt comfortable with taking my mind off those cubs of ours since they were born."

"Amen!" Balen laughed as she raised her glass, and they all raised their glasses and drank to it like she'd proposed a toast.

That night, as they were getting ready for bed, Mark asked how things had gone with the training.

"They're twelve." Fire firmly stated with a bit of a frown. "That's the main thing about The Forty-Four. They're very intelligent and capable for twelve, and of course they're all exceptional magic users for twelve, and they're doing their best to improve as fast as they can. But still. Their personalities and behaviors and attitudes are still typical of twelve-year-olds, whether human or elven. Somehow, I expected more from them that way."

"Ah. Well not everyone can be you, you know." Talia teased, and they said their good-nights.

The next day all twenty-seven of the time-bubbles on Kellaran reached the end of their planned duration, and were deactivated by the gods.

Mark and his entire family went back to Hiliani to welcome its residents back to the outside world. They took part in many of the happy reunions and enjoyed a huge cook-out prepared for the occasion by the residents of Homestead, most of whom planned to stay there rather than move back to their homes from before the time-bubble. One of the most commonly-heard comments was; "My! You look so young since the Transformation!"

Perhaps the most poignant reunion was that of Hilsith with Yazadril and Nemia. They had only been separated for three years from Hilsith's viewpoint, and for a day and a half from Yazadril and Nemia's, but Hilsith had found their separation to be much more difficult than she had expected. It was very unlike her, but she cried like a baby with relief and love when she again held them in her arms.

After spending an hour and a half there, they went to the plains of Xervia to re-acquaint with Silaran and Equemev and their extended family, including their son Falaran. He was now just as big as Silaran, and more than mature enough to associate with dragons without being unduly disturbed by it.

The Six of Hilia were reunited with the greatest of joy, and they embraced and nuzzled one another with smiles and tears of happiness on their faces. The absence of the unicorns had been sorely felt in the subjective years they'd been separated, and they all promised each other to do what they could to prevent such a lengthy separation from ever being repeated in the future.

Soon after they arrived in Xervia, word came that an important Revealing had just been made available, so Equemev cast it above the grass hundreds of meters high to be seen by all in the area.

It was Hilsith and her international team of Healers and wizards, including representatives of the aquatic races and the gargoyles, posed as a smiling group portrait on the beach in Hiliani. Hilsith made a happy but brief announcement: "We are successful! Variations of the spell set known as Hilsith's Transformation are now applicable to every race on Kellaran who can benefit from them! As of now, every member of every race can use magic and avoid death by aging! Already automated versions of the new spell sets are saving the lives of the elderly of the races represented here with me! It is our gift to all of Kellaran, and we are honored to give it!"

Her whole team and everyone else on the beach around them gave a huge cheer, then the Revealing ended.

It was great and happy news, if of little personal relevance to the unicorns and their guests.

"It looks like Hilsith wanted to avoid having her news spilled again." Val teased as she gave Fire a little tickle on her ribs. "She was more prompt with her announcement this time." "Yes, and you'd better get to work!" Fire teased in return. "Now you need another seventy or so different translations for your Magic Education!"

"Or I could delegate that to my staff!" Val laughed. "Of course, first I'd have to recruit a staff, but that wouldn't be too hard."

"Bah! Our staff is your staff, silly!" Six assured her with a one-armed hug. "And we have plenty of staff. Technically, all of The Sylvan Nation are available to Fire. And besides, with what you've done for the world lately, there's no end of others who'd be glad to do you any favor you could ask."

"I know, I was just being silly." Val assured him with a giggle. "I actually anticipated that Hilsith's team would be successful, and arranged for the rest of the translations to be done as soon as the first set of translated Educations were sent out and working. The new ones are already starting to work with their new students." She tilted her head to the side a bit as she considered her monitoring spells. "In fact, one of the Kag and two of the Southernmost are already finished. They have a few good psionic learners among them, that's for sure."☐☐☐☐☐☐

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