Tala nervously scratched Terry’s neck and head as he perched on her shoulder.
No need for nerves, Tala, you just saw them a month ago.
She and Rane stood in the teleportation tower within Alefast, awaiting her siblings' arrival.
They’d considered having everyone come to the teleportation receiving array within Kit, but as Tala was only set up with one such platform, that would have been a bit inconvenient to coordinate and make work well for all of the arrivals.
This one time, Illie, Nalac, Dagan, Alva, and Osip would be coming from the Academy to join her other siblings for the day. That wouldn’t be very frequent, as Tala had to pay for their reinscription upon their return to the Academy—they also had to endure the classic inscribing process as well—and that made it untenable very often.
Still, they had arranged for it to take place before each subsequent sibling was to make their own choice about the Academy. Those visits would have the Academy attendees arriving in Marliweather though. That way, they’d get to see their parents and friends, too. This time, however—just this once—they were all coming to visit Tala in Alefast.
Rane placed his hand on her hip—across her back—subtly drawing her in closer. She leaned into him, allowing his presence to comfort her. Terry chirped and flickered to the opposite shoulder so as to not be between them, before nuzzling Tala’s cheek to give comfort of his own.
Rane spoke calmly and quietly into the tense silence, “This is going to be great, Tala. We have all of the meals arranged and tables at the restaurants reserved. They will get to see the city as a whole and have context for what you do, going forward. The battle-view restaurant experience should be fun for all of them, too.”
This particular day, Tala and Rane should have been on the night shift, but it was the time in their cycle of duties to be fully off for the day. Thus, they wouldn’t have a shift until the following afternoon.
At precisely six hours past midnight, the teleportation circles began to light up throughout the building as Tala watched on with her threefold sight. For those at the Academy, it was later in the day, and those in Marliweather likely had just barely begun to see the light of dawn start to gray the sky over the mountains.
The Alefast branch of the Teleporters’ Guild requested that they keep two incoming teleportation arrays unused, just in case any other incoming traffic chose this time to arrive. Thus, it would take a few waves for all her siblings to arrive, but that was fine.
They arrived in quick succession, with Mages present to receive them and ensure nothing had gone amiss with the process. Soon enough, all fourteen of the siblings were together with Tala, Rane, and Terry in the base of the teleportation tower.
There were enthusiastic greetings and inquiring questions for and from those who’d come from the Academy, but Tala grabbed their attention with a quietly spoken sentence, infused with a bit of power to ensure everyone heard despite the volume. “Come on, I have a place reserved for us for breakfast. We can talk more there.”
It was a short walk through the crisp autumn air, and the siblings continued their chatting even as they followed Tala and Rane.
Alat and Mistress Ingrit had arranged it so that her siblings could come visit her every four months or so. They would arrange the specific times in the future, but that was the future, and in this moment, Tala was with her siblings again.
It promised to be a fun—if uneventful—day.
* * *
All the siblings goggled at the magnificence of the battle-view restaurant. Its well-appointed interior and lavish display of wealth in the form of wall-sized active-link Archive slates was overwhelming to those who knew just what such things should cost.
Tala actually found it somewhat humorous to watch Latna’s eye twitch as they all rose up on the lift when she realized that each of the massive windows on the upper floors—facing over the walls—was also such a slate, just one that could also be rendered clear.
Even Tala didn’t know what that had cost.
They went all the way to the top where they were greeted by several attendants and led to a large table that had been held for them.
There were some odd looks from other patrons—all with much, much smaller parties—but no one seemed actually upset or otherwise negatively affected by things. After all, with the privacy magics in place, their large group almost couldn’t disturb anyone else.
Tala watched her brothers and sisters begin to look over the menu—the older ones helping Sella and Olen—and smiled to herself at how excited they were for what was on offer.
She cleared her throat, “Please, order whatever you like. If you can’t finish what you order, we’ll save it for later.”
That sparked them to become really excited, and they all settled in for breakfast.
Rane, Terry, and the siblings had just barely given their orders to the servers when Illie spoke up, “Now, I am sure that most of you already know him well enough, but I’ve only ever talked to Master Rane through a few brief Archive messages. Now, he’s courting our eldest sister?”
Rane froze in place—tea halfway to his lips—and he set down his cup before turning to look at the girl who had maneuvered to sit directly beside him, on the other side from Tala.
Tala suppressed a smile. Mageling mistake.
-Not that any of your siblings would have been that safe.-
Nalac?
-...true. Rane should have sat next to Nalac or Osip. I retract my objection. It was a mageling mistake.-
Illie leaned in a bit closer. “So? Tell me everything.”
Rane, to his credit, didn’t flinch away from the inquiry. “What do you want to know?”
“Well, for one, when she was missing and we were all informed that she was most likely dead, you didn’t believe that. How did you know that she was alright? You messaged us long before she returned, assuring us that she was still alive and that there was a good chance she’d be back.”
Tala frowned. That’s right… She turned toward Rane along with every one of her siblings.
Even Terry opened his eyes and oriented on Rane, his head tilted to one side.
Rane cleared his throat. “Well…” He swallowed even as he seemed to be considering. “I had solid reason to believe that she wasn’t dead, and I had faith that she would return.”
“That’s what your message said, but what solid reason? Why did you have such faith?”
He gave a shrug. “I’m sorry, but I quite literally cannot tell you. It would be in breach of the very means that allowed me to know, so I cannot say more.”
Illie narrowed her eyes at him, but finally, shrugged in turn. “I suppose I can’t fault you for that.”
Rane visibly relaxed.
Another mageling mistake. Tala almost smiled, knowing that Illie was about to come at him again.
She didn’t have to wait long, “So, why are you courting my sister? Why her?” The younger girl leaned around Rane to meet Tala’s gaze. “No offense, of course, but it bears asking.”
Tala smiled in return. “I can’t say that I’m uninterested in his answer.”
Rane let out a long sigh. “And I can’t say that I didn’t expect something like this.”
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Illie grinned. “So, you must have a ready answer?”
“Of course.” He grinned in return. “She is beautiful, a powerful Mage, a meticulous thinker, willing to change her opinion when presented with new evidence, willing to put herself in danger for the good of others, and a skilled fighter.” His smile turned warm. “And those are just the things that are easy to quantify.” He turned to look at Tala. “It also helps that she wants to court me.” He chuckled at that. “That is the critical piece that makes the rest meaningful in the end. And, of course, any of those things in isolation isn’t the reason. It isn’t any individual thing, but how they—and so much more—come together to make her, her.”
Tala found herself reddening at his words, and at the attention that all her siblings were now paying to her and Rane.
Illie narrowed her eyes for a moment before nodding. “That is an acceptable answer.” She then turned toward Nea. “So, glass? That’s quite the choice.”
Tension that Tala hadn't specifically noticed in Rane slipped away as attention moved from him. While he was seemingly prepared for a question like this, he had still been nervous.
She found his nervousness a bit endearing; so, she reached over and squeezed his hand even as other conversations sprang up around the table. Tala spoke softly enough that only Rane and any others with enhanced hearing should be able to hear. Though, the restaurant's privacy fields removed the latter, leaving only Rane as able to hear, “I liked your answer.”
He smiled at that, whispering in return, “Good. That’s all that really matters in the end.”
Without further whispering, they turned their attention to the meandering conversations already bubbling up around the table.
* * *
Illie and Nalac were utterly incredulous as Tala told yet another—highly edited—account from her time in the arcane lands.
The other siblings had heard most of these stories, but Illie and Nalac had been at the Academy when Tala had come back, and they hadn’t seen her in person since.
Even so, no one seemed to mind the rehashings, and as they gathered around the more intimate dinner table within Tala’s sanctum, Tala found that she enjoyed entertaining them with the retellings.
The day had been full, but in a way that was almost entirely mundane.
She’d introduced her siblings to her Defender unit-mates, taken her brothers and sisters up on the wall, watched Defender battles in the battle-view restaurant over breakfast, toured the city, and had lunch in a little, out of the way place—which practically burst at the seams to accommodate them all at once—but aside from the personal aspects to some of those things, anyone could have done the same.
Even now, sitting around the dinner table telling stories was a deeply mundane pastime, the content of the tales notwithstanding.
The siblings all had to get home, but they’d arranged for their departure to be flexible, and no one seemed quite ready to go just yet, even when Tala felt like she had run out of stories from the Arcane lands that she was willing and able to tell them.
Mita, her second oldest sister, spoke up then, surprising most of them given her usually quieter nature, “What about your work around here? Certainly you have some stories from your time as a Defender.”
Tala looked around. “Oh, I don’t know. I’ve already been talking a lot.”
The siblings all clamored to state that they didn’t mind that at all and that they wanted to hear the stories.
When Tala still seemed hesitant, Rane smiled and interjected, “I am happy to help some. I haven’t been a Defender for as long as Tala has, but let me tell you. We’ve seen some crazy stuff.”
Everyone leaned in, clearly accepting his offer.
“Let me see… Do you want to hear about us fighting copies of ourselves? Your sister battling with an Anatalin wolf whilst completely uninscribed? Or a tale of twisted magics and a name locked to all but one gifted Mage, which gave an evil magician long life?”
After a moment of silence, the younger siblings exploded with their own preferences. As soon as they had, though, they heard what the others had said. Some immediately switched to be like one sibling or other, and some reiterated their choice, now firmly set in their preferred choice.
Battlelines had been drawn, and it seemed that there would be a bit of a show before the story.
Tala felt herself smiling at the antics of the younger ones, enjoying the knowing looks of resignation on her older siblings almost as much.
You know? I am so glad that we did this. Thank you for all your help in making this happen, Alat.
-Of course, Tala. You are most welcome.-
* * *
Tala waited patiently as Alder Zuccat—the next oldest Zuccat child—teleported into her sanctum from the Academy after finishing the fall session of classes, his last session.
The young man shed his light winter jacket—the most that would have teleported with him—just after stepping off of the teleportation receiving circle within Tala’s sanctum. He’d clearly been wearing it at the Academy, but felt no need for it, here.
Tala willed it to be dry, warm, and nicely arranged for his departure, whenever that may be.
Alder bowed in thanks to Tala as his outerwear was whisked away, likely not actually aware that it was her direct doing, but still being respectful as he was aware that the sanctum was her home.
It had been two months since Tala’s siblings visited and since then, they’d been in far greater contact. Honestly, Tala hadn’t realized how much of a barrier had been between them before her invitation and actualization of the teleports removed it.
But this wasn’t a time for her siblings. She and Terry were here with the Zuccats.
Alder looked around with wonder at the clear ‘outsideness’ of his surroundings. “Well, this is spectacular.”
“Welcome, Alder.”
He bowed again in her direction. “Thank you, Mistress Tala.” He smiled. Master Simon and Mistress Petra had been sure to be far more clear in their messages about who Tala was, to avoid another incident like what happened with Anna. “It is my honor to have such a reception.”
His eyes flicked to Terry even as the terror bird regarded him critically.
“You must be Terry. It is good to meet you, too.” He seemed wary as he spoke.
Terry fluffed himself up before trilling in contentment and closing his eyes, much to Alder’s clear relief.
Tala smiled. “I am happy to have you. Come, your family is finishing up dinner preparations.”
As they began walking, Tala searched for something to speak on.
She could have just willed them to be at the table for dinner, but she could see that they weren’t quite ready to receive Alder yet, so she decided to take the more mundane route. “Was it a pleasant teleportation?”
He chuckled. “It was, but I must say, I’m a little concerned to be around iron again.” He shivered. “I know there won’t be much in here, but out in the city? The guards have so much of it, I can already practically feel my own magic trying to invade me, even without inscriptions.” He smiled wryly. “Though, obviously, that’s all in my head. I haven’t ever even experienced it firsthand.”
Tala blinked at him. “Iron? Do you have an allergy? An aversion?”
“Oh no, nothing specific. I just dislike it as much as every Mage. I’m sure you understand.”
She blinked at him again, her brain reframing and remembering what it was like to interact with Mages who felt that way.
-Lyn has never really said she feels differently, you know.-
Yeah, but I just sort of assumed that she’d gotten over it… or something.
-That’s not a very kind assumption…-
Well, she was mainly concerned about me leaving iron about, and I literally can’t do that anymore.
-...fair.-
Tala just smiled at the young man, contemplating dropping her illusion and showing him all the iron that she had about her person.
-That would be mean… funny but mean.-
Instead, Tala simply motioned him toward where the rest of his family was waiting. “Indeed. This way.”
Soon enough, Anna was laughing with her brother, checking up on some of her friends and acquaintances who had still been at the Academy when she’d left.
Tala leaned back and listened to the Zuccat family laughing and catching up.
Segis and Metti had warmed up to their older brother, despite him having left shortly after Metti was born. Annathas—and Hanna before her—had begun laying the groundwork for loving, fun siblings returning from the Academy, and that likely helped a lot.
Mistress Petra was doting on her son, much to his consternation.
Master Simon was joking with the young man even while subtly inquiring as to his prospects on a master.
All told, Tala was a bit overwhelmed by how much they were not like her own family.
She tried to get on with her siblings, but the more she considered it, the more she realized that the lack of the parental figures really changed the dynamic. She would have to be mindful of that when her siblings visited.
Regardless, she simply enjoyed being a part of the family meal.
There was much that she wanted to learn for when she had family meals of her own.
One day… far in the future.
Anna was excitedly explaining how she, herself, was progressing as a mageling. In fact, she expected to be raised to full Magehood in just two more years. By that point, her training in the mundane arts would be complete, and her foundations in magical healing would be fully solidified and unified with those non-magical methods.
That really floored Tala, if she was being honest.
Two more years of being a mageling… she just couldn’t imagine it. Fedir will be making his choice about the Academy about then.
-You had a very unusual path, Tala. Anna is actually an example of a rather speedy rise for a healer. To be fair, that is a more knowledge-heavy profession, given all the treatment plans and disease and recovery theory and such. So, her choice requires more training before she can be raised. Your own time as a mageling would just have been to gain experience and confidence under a seasoned hand… along with the filling in of knowledge gaps in general, but you already know about that rather extensively. Useful? Absolutely, but not required to do the job.-
Tala grunted at that, though quietly enough that it was lost among the family’s exuberance. Instead, she took another long drink, and settled in to watch, and hopefully learn something.