Callida was exhausted. She’d returned to work at the beginning of December, and after Rogue’s initial attempts to identify the boys himself, he’d kind of checked out. Actually, there was no “kind of” about it. She was trying to be understanding. If she were the one in his shoes, and the boys weren’t wolves, the only explanation with any logic to it would be that she had cheated. It didn’t help that Rogue had already been struggling with a certain jealousy even before there were questions surrounding her fidelity, and then she’d been the subject of adultery rumors with Verum right up until conception had happened…. His conclusion was valid. And yet, she knew the truth, and his abandonment was so deeply personal.

While Rogue was spending his nights drowning his pain and his days sleeping it off, Callida was working full days and then tending to three babies all night. She was just doing what she could to hold out until the spiritualists that Verum had sent for could come and provide some answers. The sons of the Lion General were of lower priority than the potential heir of the Lion King, so the spiritualists had been less hurried in their reply to the invitation. Now, nearly four weeks from the time they’d been summoned, they finally showed up at Callida’s office.

“I’m Vanha,” an older woman in a simple gray cloak introduced herself and then gestured to her companion: a silent, middle-aged man standing slightly behind her. “This is Haluton. We are spiritualists and Guardians of the North Temple to the Lion Primordial. The Lion King requested our visit on your behalf. Was there a reason you didn’t simply visit the temple yourself?”

“Yes, thank you for coming,” Callida ignored the question, and Vanha unhappily pursed her lips.

“We understood that there was more than one child that you wanted us to see.”

“Correct. There are three.”

“Since we are here, take us to them.”

“Before I do that, I want you both to sign a nondisclosure agreement,” Callida informed them, withdrawing the prepared contracts from her desk.

“Whatever for?” That displeasure deepened, and Callida again ignored Vanha’s question.

“This is a contract legally binding you to silence. You were never here, you never saw my sons, and anything you see, hear, or do while you are here will not be disclosed under penalty of the law. In exchange for your silence, you will be well paid. Are we agreed?” she asked, offering them a pen.

“I’d like to read through the contract, if you don’t mind,” Vanha replied, and while Vanha went through the document with Haluton, Callida returned to her chair and did her best to not fall asleep while she waited. “Your terms are agreeable,” was the eventual verdict, and both spiritualists signed beneath Callida’s own signature. Callida gave them a copy of the contract for their records and stowed the signed copy.

“If you’ll follow me, please?” The walk to the house passed in silence. Callida didn’t care to attempt small talk, nor did she have the mental energy to try. Her exhaustion was that absolute. Once they’d arrived at the house, Celarus helped to guide her guests to the parlor while Callida hiked the stairs.

This was going to be the tricky bit.

She went first to her bedroom, a room she’d been avoiding for nearly a month, and found Rogue predictably still passed out on the bed and wearing his clothes from the previous day. The curtains were shut tight to block out the afternoon sunlight. That was the first step: opening the curtains. Rogue growled at the offending glow, and Callida returned to the bedside to take his hand and try coaxing him the rest of the way awake more gently.

“Rogue, can you wake up for me?”

His hand tensed and pulled away almost immediately. “What do you want?”

“Please, Qiangde. This is important.”

He sat up, projecting irritation and hurt. “What?”

“I’ve called in some spiritualists to–” he scoffed and Callida waited a moment “–to identify the boys. I need you to be there.”

“Why? So they can tell me what I already know?”

“Hopefully so they can tell us something we don’t,” she returned patiently. “Will you come? Please?” she added when he didn’t immediately respond.

“Give me a minute.”

She nodded and left, going next to the nursery.

“General! You’re home early,” Tutella greeted her, and Calora, the recently hired second nurse, smiled from where she was bouncing with a sleeping baby.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, especially during naptime, but I need to borrow the boys for a few minutes. It shouldn’t take long.” The nurses helped Callida gather all three babies together in her arms, and Callida walked out in time to meet Rogue as he was exiting the bedroom.

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“Where do you want me?”

“The front parlor.” He seemed to consider taking one of the boys from her and then thought better of it and descended the stairs ahead of her. Callida fought herself to not tear up. “Vanha, Haluton, this is Rogue, and these are the boys you’re here to identify,” she acquainted everyone, and Vanha smiled as she took Manasik from her arms.

“Hello, little one,” Vanha cooed, and Callida got the distinct impression that holding babies was Vanha’s favorite part of her job. Haluton, on the other hand, remained silent and unmoved. “I can already tell you that he’s a host,” Vanha said. “His aura is very strong. Let’s see what you are!” The Guardian placed two fingers against Manasik’s chest, her smile fading immediately. “Haluton, what do you see?” she asked, and held the baby out to him. Her partner seemed surprised, but obligingly placed his own fingers against the baby’s chest, his green eyes widening a moment later.

Callida watched the pair exchange something cryptically, her own anxiety spiking. “What is it? Is something wrong?”

“We’d like to continue with the other babies,” Vanha said and exchanged Manasik for Probus. The same procedure was observed, both spiritualists taking it in turns to identify Probus’s animal spirit, and this time they seemed relieved. “Yes, you are a very handsome black lion, young man,” Vanha cooed. “Such an unusual color for a lion!”

Behind her, Rogue stood up in a rush to leave, and Callida wheeled around still holding Manasik and Tiaki, to kick Rogue back into his chair. “Stay,” she hissed. When Rogue bitterly slouched into his seat, Callida turned back to the very startled spiritualists to trade Tiaki for Probus. Again, upon performing the ritual, Vanha and Haluton exchanged confused glances. “What do you see?” Callida practically begged.

“Well, all three of them have a black essence, but it’s strange,” Vanha began very cautiously. “I’ve identified children from every tribe in Ulakam, but I have never seen animal spirits like these. Except for the one lion, I’m not sure what they are.”

“What are you seeing? Can you describe them?”

More cryptic glances passed between the Guardians, and this time, Haluton spoke. His voice was surprisingly deep. “The first one looked almost like a dragon, reptilian and serpentine but without limbs or wings.”

“So… like a snake?” Callida hazarded.

“But that would be impossible,” Vanha said. “The snake tribe went extinct at the time of the last Primordials. No. He must be a very strange dragon.”

“And what about Tiaki — the baby you’re holding?”

“Well, um, his animal spirit is also very strange,” Vanha padded the response and passed the torch to Haluton.

“He appears to be some sort of fish.”

“A fish. But there isn’t a fish tribe!” Callida exclaimed.

“No,” Haluton said with a frown. “The only tribe that would seem to make sense is the Shark Tribe, but they too went extinct at the time of the Last Primordials.”

“So what are you saying?” Callida balked. “My babies shouldn’t exist?!”

“Tell us, from where did you adopt them?” Vanha asked.

“I gave birth to them! They’re triplets.”

“Well that can’t be,” Vanha frowned. “They are hosts to three different species. You’re a lion, I presume?”

“No. I’m a wolf.”

“That’s even more impossible,” Vanha laughed. “Is your wolf at least black?”

“No. She’s gold… like a lion.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Vanha dismissed. “You’re telling me that a single pregnancy of a golden wolf spirit host produced a black, snake-like dragon, a black lion, and a… a black shark?! At least one of those is extinct! Who was the father? A chimera?!”

“The father’s animal spirit was black?” Haluton asked.

“Yes. That, at least, I can confirm,” Callida said with as much significance as she could, her eyes suddenly tearing up.

“My dear, your story doesn’t add up,” Vanha declared patronizingly, returning Tiaki to her. “They are beautiful babies, but consider the importance of telling them the truth of their identity and heritage as they get older.”

“So what are they, then?” Callida dug in her heels. “You’ve only identified one of them absolutely.”

“We can only guess what the other two are.”

“Then guess,” she snarled. “Assume anything is possible and tell me what you think they are. Don’t mince words.”

The ambiance of the room grew dark and tense as the two spiritualists glanced at each other again. “My best guess is that you are holding a snake, a lion, and a shark, but that would be nothing short of a miracle given that two of them are known to be extinct,” Haluton said. “It would be doubly miraculous if they were all three fathered by the same man with the same woman. I don’t know what trick you’re pulling, General, but Vanha and I don’t appreciate being manipulated like this. Now, we’ve done as you asked. We’ll take what you promised us and leave.”

Without a word, Callida left to return the boys to the nursery and collect the substantial fee she’d promised the spiritualists. When she returned to settle with them, Rogue was already gone. The Guardians left, and Callida slumped into the nearest chair for a good cry.

They really weren’t wolves, and instead of finding answers, she’d only found more questions. Probus was a lion. Tiaki was a shark. Manasik was a snake… maybe. Callida’s frazzled mind spun unproductively looking for a way for that to be possible, gaslighting herself into wondering if she really had somehow cheated and forgotten or been drugged and assaulted or…. But even if Qiangde wasn’t the father, who could be? I wonder if chimeras are an actual thing. Maybe this is what happens when two mixes have babies? The fact that she was half lion and Rogue was half dragon might somehow explain how Probus was a lion and Manasik was a wingless, limbless dragon. But Tiaki? Miracle, my foot. This is a nightmare!