From the doorway to the den, I hear Pawn’s voice, “Momma? I got a surprise for you.”

Judging by the shuffling, there’s quite a few individuals gathered outside the den. Prinrin squeezes out from between Teuila and Farzhis to meet Pawn, and gasps aloud at what she sees. I’m curious myself at what could be so surprising.

Prinny’s comment fills me in mostly, “But you don’t even all know each other, we’ve always kept the secrets to keep you safe. Oh my sweets, my little darlings, how wonderful, how thoughtful. How just, how?”

They must be Prinrin’s children, adopted out to keep the secret of their clutching safe. I imagine it’s Miraina’s doing. The young woman has a vastly underestimated intelligence. I sense the swelling of Prinrin’s heart metaphorically across our emotional bond. She beckons to me, but I’m helpless to fly to her side, until Luni suddenly relents, stopping pretending that she’s asleep. I wear a lopsided half-frown half-smile at Lu, trying not to shake my head or roll my eyes at her. She wears a cheeky, only-mildly guilty, partially apologetic expression on her face.

I extricate myself from Lu, and literally fly to Prinrin’s side. All of these young men and women out here would be twenty one, even if their hatchings were spaced out over a couple of weeks. They do look like children however due to their stature. I can see why it would be easy, and necessary, to keep them from all being in one place. It’d be too easy to piece together that a runt had clutched. Prinrin suddenly drags me to her, squeezing me lovingly, overflowing with the joy of seeing her children all in one place.

A second joy with a hint of mischievous anticipation starts to swell in place alongside that first joy, and my eyes flash wide as I gulp and blush, feeling her very overt signal. Holy crap Prinny, that isn’t subtle at all! There’s a mischievous smirk across our wavelength as she begins to imagine the clutch she’d like to have while squeezing me tightly. I begin to sweat bullets, unable to even be remotely professional and address the gathered young men and women, now that my mind is entirely being corralled into thoughts about—. Gulp.

Thankfully, well, somewhat thankfully, since I don’t exactly *not* enjoy Prinrin’s insinuations and desires, my wife comes to my rescue. Kinzul stands behind us, and coughs politely, ever so slightly, once. Prinny chuckles somewhat-nervously as her cheeks heat the air between us, though Kinzul only smiles at her long-time friend. Still, there’s the slightest hint of danger in that smile, but even that seems playful, as if the two had gone through this bef—. They did. Prinrin has dropped plenty of hints about how she and Kinzul had shared a love of The Platinum.

Feeling hot under the collar, I gulp and tug at an imaginary necktie. I feel even more embarrassed when Kinzul, across our telepathic wavelength, including Prinrin, asks, “Perhaps you could at least wait until my spouse and I have consummated our bond, before mating with them, dear old friend?”

I nearly faint at the implications. Both women smirk almost evilly across our telepathic wavelength as Prinrin apologizes. Both of them know very well I can’t physically, biologically—. Grr, I’m being teased, and I can’t help but give them the exact reaction they want. Fudge. Oh well, it’s—. I fight my smile for a bit. It’s flattering that they enjoy so much of me, even my silly overreactions to embarrassment. I, gulp, guess it’s also flattering that they might actually want what they’ve both just hinted at. Yeesh. Phew. It’s hot in here, right? It’s not just me, right? Phew, huff, whew.

Miraina, adorable, cheeky, wonderful Miraina, sidles up alongside me and waggles one of her scaled brows just once, sensing along the many, many telepathic wavelengths we share, just what emotions I’m feeling. Crap, that’s right, I bound her in no less than at least four wavelengths with me and Kinzul. She and I are even more intimately mentally bound then I am with her moth—. Gulp. Miraina smirks and rolls her eyes at me across one of our mental wavelengths.

Pawn makes sure to clear the air, “Don’t be goofy Schism, I’m not coming on to you, and mom is just teasing. I think. Or maybe seeing all of her kids in one place really did get her babymaking factory roaring. Um. Sorry if I did that. Sorry if me playing the kid card so much has made things weird for you. We had to. You understand. Right?”

Calming quite a bit, I flash Miraina a sad smile as I nod. I wrap my left arm around her shoulders and bring her into a half-hug, thanking her for clearing the air, or at least trying to. I do find myself blushing heatedly at the turn of phrase, “get her babymaking-factory roaring.” Crap on a cracker. Yeesh, the people in my life. Though, I mean, if I could, I’d—. Reggie, don’t even finish that thought. You are standing in a very, very dangerous location, surrounded mentally by people who can read your every thought even when you’re blocking them, more or less.

I gulp and hesitantly chuckle nervously. Teuila snorts a laugh along our mental wavelength, mostly getting context by leaning around the edge of the den doorway to look at the glare shared between Kinzul and Prinrin while Prinny gloms onto me. Lu pouts along our mental wavelength, and I can’t help but think she somehow knows the exact words that have been flowing through my mental narrative, despite me having put up my walls for this last bit. She’s shown signs, several times on Rayileklia, that she’s able to somehow follow along in my narrative, even without the bond.

Thankfully, at least Farzhis doesn’t know what’s going through my head. I think. I hope. I really don’t want to rile her up at all, much less when she’s so vulnerable. I try exceedingly hard, and of course fail, to not think about Farzhis and her attempts to seduce me, while my mind is locked into thoughts of mating, because of Prinrin and Kinzul. Facepalming, I shake my head at myself while heaving a weary sigh. Of course, now I can’t help but remember those attempts, and that absolutely glorious form that had been flaunted. Friggin’ hell Reggie. I know!

There’s chatter going on around me, about losing The Blue, and how they’re glad they get to see their mom, and glad she’s okay. There’s some chiding that they had to learn through Pawn about what Prinrin went through yesterday. I flash a sad smile to those gathered as they thank me for saving Prinny. It wasn’t just me, but I understand how large a role I had to play in saving her. We needed an archmage with the right tools, and there wasn’t one. So I had to quickly become one, in record time. I fight back tears for fear of the loss of Prinny. The worry I’d felt grasps and claws at my heart, leaving me weeping, hiding my face from the crowd of young adults.

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My deviant, brave, little old fool. We’ll lose you far before this war ends, if you don’t stop taking the hits for everyone else. I can’t, and wouldn’t change you though Prinrin. You’re amazing, marvelous. I have my walls up, so you shouldn’t be able to hear me, and yet I can see you reading me like an open book, as usual. I need to take my mind off of this, and not replace it with more thoughts of mating, as tantalizing as those mental images might be.

I guess it’s time for Reggie Shellcracker to strategize. I flash an apologetic, sad smile towards Prinrin as I slowly extricate myself from her loving embrace where she tightly clings to me. I so badly want to take her to a private corner and share passion with her to show her that I appreciate her, and am so grateful that she made it through alright. Such flights of fancy can wait however. We—. Can they though? Prinny is the most likely to—. Stop. Just stop. We can’t think about that.

My eyes redden and swell puffily, almost painfully. My lower jaw quivers. I don’t want either of us losing the other, or leaving this life behind with any regrets, but—. But pulling her away from this would be beyond selfish, even if she would enjoy it, even if she hinted that she wants it. I lean down to kiss Prinrin on the cheek, and the sneak makes sure to meet my lips, foretelling my action and position by reading my body language. I relent, and kiss her softly for more than the briefest of moments, though only just.

There’s acknowledgment in her eyes as Prinrin releases me from her tightly clasped embrace. She’s going to spend the day with her children, perhaps the first ever with all of them at once. I turn to my wife with sorrow and apology in my eyes, but I’m met with only love, tenderness, kindness in the gaze that meets mine. She understands what I need to do, to continue to be the Hero that Solace needs. Despite our desire to truly unite, to spend time together, to figure out the path through the emotional minefield of this war, we each have duties that we’ll perform, regardless of our own states and desires.

I kiss Kinzul tenderly, and we rest our foreheads together. As she cups my face with her right hand, stroking my left cheek with her thumb, she bumps my nose once with hers, and I can’t help smiling at the intimate hint to kiss her again. As she intimated, I do kiss her once more before withdrawing. We clasp hands momentarily as we drift apart. There is so much that she must do to maintain everything that keeps the world safe, that keeps us safe. She regally glides away, following the train of Prinrin and her children.

Miraina, the last of them leaving, kisses my cheek and whispers, “Thank you for saving her. I love you for it. Stay alive Hero. Please keep staying alive, and keep keeping her alive. Please. I know how hard that might be, how stubborn she is, but, but please. Thank you so much.”

My heart aches at Miraina’s request, but she disappears after Kinzul and Prinrin in the blink of an eye, faster than I can respond, and I don’t have the heart to formulate a telepathic reply. My muscles sag wearily. The burden, the weight is so heavy. Of course I want to meet her request. Of course I do. It’s just such a challenge when I can’t see what the future holds. I can’t make any promises. The only promise I can make, the only guarantee we have about the future is a horrible portent, and I’ll be fighting that fate with every ounce of my being.

Returning to Lu, Te, and Farzhis, I spot Farzhis leaning over sideways. She’s angled down into Te’s lap, weeping, while Teuila strokes her hair back from her cheek, keeping it from falling in front of her nose or mouth. My heart aches for her. I don’t entirely understand the specific feeling she’s going through, losing a parent, but I do understand loss. I don’t entirely understand the pressure that now weighs down on her, with the task she’s taken up in The Blue’s stead, but I do certainly understand overwhelming responsibility that likely ends in death. Oh Farzhis. I won’t let this war go on that long. I promise you. I promise. We won’t need the Worldstorm forever. We’ll dispel it, and you won’t end up like your father.

Hell in a handbasket. Gods it hurts to see her hurt so deeply. I barely know her. I intentionally avoided getting to know her, because of assumptions I made about her character. Well, assumptions that turned out to be true, that were based on facts gleaned telepathically anyway. Frick, now I’m backpedaling and screwing things up mentally. I just mean that, I haven’t given her enough time and support in forging a friendship, that I should even offer what I’m about to offer. I haven’t gotten to know her well enough, as well as she deserves of someone that would claim to be a friend.

Sighing, I glance between the three women in the room. I still have to deal with Induul today, and I’m not sure I should subject any of them to that. Speaking of—.

Miraina locks onto me telepathically to relay, “Got a weird message from a little birdie, literally, one just flew into solace and sought me out. Says ‘Schism, The Green ranging far. Keeping an eye out. Seems likely gone for a couple of days. Yui.’”

That—, is oddly convenient. He’s taken on the task of isolating himself from the vulnerable in Mount Solace. Or he could be trying to range far and wide to hunt down the piping powder. I’ll choose to believe the former. I puff a quiet sigh through nearly-closed lips. At least what I’m about to offer then doesn’t also request something from those still in the room.

Starting off, I wave while wearing a sad half-smile, before asking, “Te, you wanted to spend today together still too, right? So we can keep, y’know, working things out. Lucky, are you um, do you make any sort of plans or anything? Lu, did you want, um, do you have plans today, or would you maybe care to hang out with Te and me as I—.”

Farzhis interrupts, pleading, “Don’ leave me alone, please, don’ go. Schism. Jus’, jus—.”

Cooing, I kneel next to Farzhis as I take her left hand between mine and I respond, “I want you to come with. I was going to ask you too. Are you up for that Farzhis dear? I hope it doesn’t seem heartless, but there’s still so much to prepare for tomorrow’s raids. I love you, and want you to pull through this sadness, so I’ll try to be there for you, however I can. Is, is that okay? I know it’s a lot to ask while you’re hurting, to go around while we get things done, but, but, um.”

Gripping my hands tightly, Farzhis turns to meet my gaze with her tear-streaked face. My breath catches momentarily. The vulnerability she’s displaying touches me so deeply, and reminds me how beautiful she is. I gulp, trying to keep myself centered, hoping to prevent my mind from wandering in stupid directions when I’m trying to be supportive. Farzhee nods ever-so-slightly, almost timidly. She also climbs onto me, into my arms, which isn’t exactly what I meant, or how I intended to bring her along, but I won’t begrudge her this at least for a little while. I flash a blushing apologetic smile towards Lu and Te. Te just smirks while Luni pouts.

Telepathically, I offer to Lu, “Hey, if you want to carry the buxom lass around, feel free, she’s not too heavy, and rather delightful to hold. I’m sure she’d appreciate you just as much.”

Luni rolls her eyes and scoffs playfully at me before chuckling. Across our mental wavelength, she grumbles, “No, you can keep the pretty lady to yourself, she’s not the first one to claim your arms when I wanted them. Erm, sorry, I know it’s not like that. I’m just groggy is all. Grumpy from waking up with little sleep, promise. At least my titty isn’t sore any more. Thank you. For the massage.”

I blush heatedly, causing Farzhee to nuzzle my warm neck to dry her tears. I want to retort to Lu that I didn’t exactly—. Huff, anyway. I can’t help smiling and rolling my eyes while shaking my head. I can sense Luni grinning along our emotional wavelength that her tease landed. She can be so mean sometimes, but I love her all the same. Maybe I even love her for it.

I’ll probably pass Farzhee off to Te at some point during the day anyway, because the strategy meeting might be a little difficult to participate in from behind a wild mound of bedhead hair, and a massive pair of—, cough, um, well, anyway.