I settled into my Grace Stance and began gathering Vitae into my limbs, the wind around me beginning to push me forward in the familiar rush of the Great Wind Sprint Technique, the trees blurring around me as I began to follow the various scent trails that Dalton had left.

And yet, almost disappointing, I came to a stop quite soon, halting my rush at the end of the third trail I had followed. In front of me, squatting with his back to me, was my son, his form unmoving.

“Dalton,” I called out, approaching leisurely. The game was over, but I was a bit disappointed. Had my son thought the scent trails would keep me occupied for longer? Perhaps I’d just gotten lucky?

He did not turn to greet me, in fact, he did not greet me at all. Perhaps he was frustrated by being found?

I came over, “Dalton, you surprised me with the trickery with the scents-”

My voice stopped as my attempt to pat him on the shoulder, grab his attention, failed as my hand went straight through the form of my son. The illusion popped at my touch, bursting into a faint mist that tickled at my frozen fingers.

I blinked, “What?”

Of all the things I had been expecting, a spell had not been one of them. Taking a look around the area, at the scent trails, now looking for it, I could plainly see the Mana soaking these scent trails.

When did Dalton become a magician? Was this an attempt to kidnap my child? I shook the thought from my head.

Even if this was the product of my son's talent or the villainy of another magician, I would find my son soon.

Pulsing my Vitae outward, I disrupted the Mana empowering the false scents around me, my sight and hearing fading as my Bloodhound Scourger Technique activated once more. Dalton’s scent was alone, but that did little to calm my heart.

With no more false trails of fake scents to mislead me, I quickly gripped onto his scent, my senses reawakening as I pushed my body forward following it.

I dodged tree after tree, only 3 minutes left to find my son at the end of this trail, when my senses, now looking for signs of Mana, suddenly flared in alarm.

A large oak that I made to dash by suddenly erupted in a loud thunderclap of noise, my sight going white for a brief moment as the triggered spell flashed with a bright light alongside the discordant bang.

Thrown off, I staggered off to the side, quickly recovering from the noise and light, but not from the shock of the trap. I took a deep breath, looking at the minor scorch mark on the oak.

“Dalton…how did you hide these tricks?” I shook my head, a frown forming, “Or perhaps you truly have been taken.”

Spending no more time on the idea, I followed the scent trail again in a blur, quickly dashing and darting away from the trees as two more triggered spells went off. And yet, with 2 minutes left, I realized with a sudden clarity that the slight curve of Dalton’s trail was leading me in one big curve.

A curve that led right back to our home, the Velbrun Keep.

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“What!? How did you do that?” Daka’s voice was loud and clear as I stepped into the keep, my form no longer rushed.

My quarry replied, “Good investments. Father has been saying that our birthday this year will mark our first steps into adulthood so I assume they’ll pay off.”

I had a minute left as I creeped around the bend, the last few grains of sand beginning to fall from my hour glass.

“It’s impressive, but will they really stop for Dad for long? I’m sure his nose has been tricked before.” Natakia sounded politely crossed.

I stopped, my last few seconds beginning to tick down. My children were just around the next bend, my hidden son just inches from being found.

“I’m certain. He chased after both of you first.”

“Hah! So you did need our help!” Daka sounded victorious.

My son hmphed, “In the same way I’d need help slowing down a bear. You just bought me time.”

“If we had worked together, like I’d said, then we could have all played to our strengths and gotten our birthday presents early.” I honestly agreed with my daughter after seeing all of my childrens’ efforts.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Huh? You said that?”

“I tried to before you ran off.”

“Regardless,” I could hear the smugness in my son’s quiet voice, “The game ends in my favor in 5…4…3…”

I rounded the corner, “Hello Dalton.”

“Fuck.”

I was going to have to speak with Doh about the language my children were picking up.

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My three children sat on the couch in front of me, each of them having failed to win our little game and taking it quite differently from one another.

Smelling of fresh bathwater and cleanliness, Daka was in the middle, her eyes on her siblings as she tried to cheer both of them up. The first to lose and yet taking it the best, she was smiling and comforting them in her own unique way.

“You had everyone to help you out this time, Natakia, but I’ll show you all the awesome places you could have really hidden from Dad! He’ll never find you! We’ll convince him you moved away!”

Natakia lightly huffed, looking away from Daka’s attempt to comfort her. I’m sure she would be upset for quite some time, but perhaps I could speak to Zao about fixing her something special.

Daka swerved towards her brother, “And just think about next time, Dalton! Like the bear, remember? I’ll hold Dad back for a few more seconds and you’ll get to win next time!”

Dalton’s head was down, his gaze at his feet, but I could feel the anger roiling off of him. A familiar cold anger that I felt from him every time he failed or was deprived of some reward.

Taking them in for a moment, I spoke, “Children, look at me.”

Upset as they were, sans Daka, they turned to look at me. My little warrior quieted, her attention firmly on me. I met each of their eyes.

I could see Natakia’s frustration with her siblings, Daka’s lack of disappointment, and the cold glint of Dalton’s ire.

“You all did wonderfully,” I said. “Every last one of you went above and beyond what I expected of you individually.”

Natakia spoke up, a light tremor of accusation in her words, “You wanted us to work together.”

I nodded. My children were fiercely independent. Yes, we spent much of our time together, but they did not often lean on me like other children might with their parents.

While I was unafraid of independence, I did find their independence from one another concerning. Perhaps born of my own sibling troubles, but I worried about how little they supported each other.

It spoke of Natakia’s usual insights into people that she had noticed so readily.

“I did. I was unsurprised that you didn’t, but that doesn’t take away from the clear fact that I am proud of what all you achieved on your own.” It was hard to put into words how amazing my children were.

“We wouldn’t have won even if we had worked together,” Dalton said, his gaze like an iceberg off the Fjordic coasts. Hard and unmoving.

I smiled warmly, “Few know the future. And yet, in my experience, being alone…is hard. Even if you had failed, you would still have the warmth of each other to share that failure with.”

My son did not look convinced, but some lessons took time. He was but a child and his circumstances made him unique in ways that I was not adept in.

Gesturing to them all with a hand, I said, “You’re all turning 10 in a few days. In Rusk, 10 is the age when a child is considered capable enough to begin learning the responsibilities of adulthood.”

The children of hunters would have their first kill, the child of the Storyteller would tell their first tale, the beginnings of taking up the roles of their parents would be in motion.

“As you begin this journey to adulthood,” I said, bending down to lay a soft, comforting hand on each of their heads, one by one, “I want you to remember that you have each other, that you have me. Nothing can change that.”

Natakia’s eyes watered, Daka’s smile growing. Dalton’s gaze warmed a fraction so small I doubted even he was aware of it. I gave them all a smile, one I hoped they could lean on if I were ever not by their side.

After a moment, I stood up, “Now, I believe it’s time for early birthday presents.”

I almost laughed at the looks on their faces. Was this how Doh felt when she messed with someone?