Miriam was in her apartment where she sat with Tisa, her friend and Jalissa's paternal Aunt.

Tisa was a dressmaker and had a marriage contract with an Airship Captain, Ishram. The two lived next to Miriam and had 3 children, 2 boys and a girl. The eldest boy Cameron was 7, the second boy Tyrwell was 5 and the last child, their girl Patti was 3. Since Jalissa was always with her cousins they were as close as siblings which was something Miriam was always thankful for.

Jalissa and Tisa’s 3 children were playing a game while their mothers talked. When there was a knock at the door Jalissa ran to answer it. She peeked outside but when she saw Tuck waiting she flung the door wide.

“Altair!” She exclaimed before glomping onto him with a hug. Taking Tuck by the hand Jalissa pulled him into the house.

“Everybody meet Mr Bashtuck, he’s my friend.”

“Hello everybody.” Tuck said. He gave Jalissa a bag of cupcakes to share amongst her cousins.

“My, my, my. Mr Bashtuck, Miriam didn’t mention how handsome you were. I am Tisa.” Tisa said as she met Tuck halfway across the room. She gave Miriam a wink and reached out to shake Tuck’s hand.

“Nice to meet you Ms Tisa everybody calls me Tuck.”

“Tuck it is, I’ll be with the children since you two have something to discuss.” Tisa already knew the contract was coming so she took the kids into the living room while Miriam and Tuck sat in the kitchen. Tuck waited until they were alone to hand Miriam the Indentureship contract. She read it and smiled.

“I was expecting a slave contract with our status differences. Thank you for not doing that to me.” Miriam said with a wide smile.

“I was under the understanding that that wouldn’t be an insult.” Tuck said. Opcide had made it seem like no big deal in this society so Tuck sought clarification.

“It is not a big deal, but for most of my life my status used to be higher. It’s just embarrassing.” Miriam signed the contract right below Tuck’s own signature. The paper glowed and turned into two motes of lights and flew into each of them. Tuck became even more aware of Miriam’s presence and she of his.

“I’m a bit unsure how this society functions but from my talks with Director Opcide I’m just going to lay down how I want things to go and you tell me if you disagree with what I say and we can discuss it further.” Tuck began. Miriam nodded and waited for him to gather his thoughts.

“From now on you are mine.” Tuck continued. “Where I came from a man was only allowed one woman but that doesn’t apply here so I will be greedy. You are my first wife, not my last.” Tuck paused to read the room, Miriam smirked but said nothing so Tuck carried on.

“I want you to quit your job at the Jaunty.” Tuck took out 1000 Kilo in bills. “Use that to pay off your bills and deposit the rest.” Miriam took the money and put it into her new Carry-All bag.

“While I’m gone I want you to gather information for me on what is going on in the Warren. There is a saying where I’m from, ‘Give a man a fish you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.’” Miriam gave Tuck a curious look.

“It’s a good saying, but what does that have to do with spying?” She asked.

“I’m about to teach you to fish.” Tuck told her as he reached into his reservoir and pulled out a SoulGem.

“Shaards is a world about power. This SoulGem came from a Titan Shadow Lynx. It was one of my toughest opponents. It could literally move though shadows and control darkness. From my own experiences controlling space, I can influence time. So if you manage to master darkness, you may be able to influence light, your imagination is the only limit on your power. Absorb this now.” Tuck informed her. Miriam broke into tears.

Tuck hugged and consoled her.

“These are happy tears right?” he asked.

“Yes.” She sobbed. “You don’t know how much this means to me.” She was finally able to say through the tears.

“My father was Militia Tuck, I grew up idolising him. He taught me to shoot, to fight, to hunt, to track, everything I needed to survive. I still remember the day he made Captain,and became a Champion. He was given a SoulGem of a Titan Mountain Ramm. He moved from a large man to a man larger than life. Still my dad but so much more.

I wanted that for myself. So I followed him into the Militia.

Anyone who makes the rank of Captain is promised a SoulGem and made a Champion so I threw myself into the work. I joined the tracking division. We kept track of Titan Beasts and their migration so the Warren didn’t get any nasty surprises.

When the beast tide tragedy took so many of our Champions, including my father 8 seasons ago. I redoubled my efforts and helped track and trap Titan Beasts so we could replenish our Champions but I was passed over for promotion. For 2 seasons I just put my head down and worked but no promotion came and I didn’t know why. It was around then that I became pregnant with Jalissa and took maternity leave. It was my husband Heric who was a Captain in the lancer division that let me know that the SoulGem quota dropped while I was gone.

When I came back from Maternity leave I filed a complaint to Militia court about my lack of a promotion but my CO Commander Lixor buried the drop in SoulGems and said I had yet to put in enough time to get my promotion. The court agreed and sent me back out to hunt. I could have half assed my job but we really need Champions to keep the Warren safe. I couldn’t do that and keep a good conscience.

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Everything came to a head about 4 seasons ago when Jalissa was around 2. Heric died on an escort mission. I was suddenly a single parent. I put in the paperwork to be moved to a desk job. That ass-hat Lixor blocked my transfer and constantly dangled my promotion over my head, always saying it was right around the corner, and I would get my SoulGem any day now. I once again took my case to the Militia court. It became clear that they knew. They knew the entire tracking division was sitting on my shoulders and just didn’t care. So I quit!” Miriam dried her tears. Boreson had been kind enough to offer her a job and treat her like one of his own daughters but the unreasonable treatment from the Militia still stung.

“I had given up on this dream Tuck and now, not only have you brought me a favourable contract you are also giving me back my lost dream.”

“That jackass Commander Lixor would see my daughter as an orphan if I let him.” Miriam concluded. Tuck never met Lixor but he could see the similarities between his tactics and Captain Arnim's. Manipulation was their preferred way of getting things done.

Tuck’s past conversation with Major Iskandar revealed that the upper echelon was now aware of the issue in their Tracking Division, although Tuck had no idea if anything was actually being done about it. Either way it wasn’t his problem.

“Well I don’t need you helpless, nor weak, we’re going to be travelling together while Jalissa is in school. I want to see as much of this world as I can, and I want you at my side.”

“Understood. I will be a good and faithful first wife, and help rebuild the Bashtuck Clan.” Miriam made that declaration with a ferocity Tuck had yet to see before. She then took up the SoulGem and began absorbing it. Tuck never saw someone become a Champion, so he pulled both of them into his Maw just in case there was a phenomenon.

Miriam held the SoulGem up to her chest and it slowly soaked into her flesh. There was then a pulse of darkness and all of Miram cramped with pain. Her body transformed, more muscle, more pronounced curves, her breasts became fuller and a size larger. Everything about Miriam became more refined. The changes were quick, after a few minutes Miram’s body relaxed and when Tuck was sure her transformation was concluded he released his Maw.

TIsa and the children were gathered around wide eyed, the use of Tuck’s Maw had caught their attention. Everyone noticed the changes in Miriam, and the kids all jumped on her.

“Mommy, you are so pretty.”

“Aunty Miriam you’ve become a Champion?”

Miriam confirmed her transformation and told the family she was now Tuck’s woman. Everyone cheered. Word spread around the neighbourhood and a party started. Miriam was very popular in her community. Tuck provided the raw materials for a feast and the entire sector avalanched into a celebration that went late into the night.

***

The tunnels of the Warren shifted from the low light setting of night to the brighter setting of day and Tuck stirred to wake. He and Miriam were entwined in both each other and the sheets.

Miriam had asked Tisa to watch Jalissa for the night. And when all four children fell asleep Tuck had helped their mothers carry them to Tisa’s apartment and put them to bed.

Miriam and Tuck went back to her apartment and made love until the early morning. Tuck smiled from ear to ear thinking back. He kissed Miriam good morning before getting out og bed to get dressed. Miriam stayed in the bed and appreciated watching him get dressed. Tuck leaned in to kiss her again and give her some advice.

"Like I hinted at, practise with your powers. You have the Shadow Lynx's understanding of your ability but with human imagination you will be able to do so much more." He told her.

"I can just imagine what you can do since you control space and time. I'll try my best to see what darkness can do." She replied.

"You are making me sound more powerful than I am, it is more like I have my own space that I push out to influence the world around me." Tuck smiled. Miriam looked him in the eye as she weighed her words before speaking.

"Altair, I've seen you pull out a pie, hours after it was baked. It was still steaming. You stopped time for it and if you can stop time in that space of yours you should be able to speed it up or even reverse it." Miriam was still studying Tuck's expression as she finished. "You control space and time." Tuck's face went slack.

‘Nah.’ he thought. 'Was she right?' Tuck closed his eyes and focused on some potted vegetables he had gotten to use in his kitchen garden once he had his Hideaway. They were kept in his Reservoir. Tuck concentrated on moving the time in that part of his Reservoir, It felt like flexing a muscle and then things shifted. The plants bloomed to ripeness and withered in a moment.

'Too much.' Tuck tried again, this time more gently and going the other way. The withered food became vibrant and lush once again. Tuck released his influence and the stasis time returned.

Tuck sat heavily on the edge of the bed and rubbed his face suddenly feeling cold. He could age somebody to death or return someone's youth. Could he undo catastrophic injuries? Could he resurrect the dead? What happened to the soul when he brought that person back?

It was overwhelming.

Miriam got up and hugged him. Raising his lowered head to her bosom. She had continued to study his reaction to her words and had seen the moment the realisation of how powerful he might be hit him.

"I've heard legends of you immortals going crazy with power and destroying themselves but I believe you can handle it Altair, you are not a good man, but you are a great one." Miriam said to Tuck.

"Why would you think me an immortal?" He asked.

"Are you not?" Tuck had no rebuttal, thanks to the Void Wyrm his memory went back millennia and because of the time rift he fell into, Tuck was born centuries ago. His healing would most likely counter his ageing and if it didn't he could just enter his reservoir and turn back time. He could as well be immortal.

"Ok, so in the legends how do the immortals fall?" Tuck asked, learning from his own mistakes had served him well, but if he could learn from the mistakes of others he would gain some wisdom.

"Pride, always hubris. Immortality is not invincibility. Be careful of that." Miriam told him before kissing his forehead.

“Last question. Why don’t you think I am a ‘good man’?” Tuck then asked.

“You are always looking for an advantage Altair, good men don’t do that. Great men do.” Miriam pointed out. "Are you feeling better now?" She asked a question of her own. Tuck held her around her waist, pressed his lips against her breasts and blew out air to create indecent farty noises which tickled her and caused Miriam to cackle.

"Boobs make everything better." Tuck laughed with her.

"Get going you fool." Miriam sent Tuck on his way with a fond smile.