There was a huge rabbit standing at the entrance of Nikola’s house and attracting a crowd. Nikola stared at it, the rabbit stared back and righted it’s robes. Rabbits wearing robes, what was next? A moon cow?

“You must come with me to the magistrate. He doesn’t believe me that the grove you made is in my territory.” Said the rabbit. A man stepped from the crowd and pointed at the rabbit.

“Don’t believe a thing this rodent tells you, trader Nikola! That’s a Ghost Liar! It tried to make a burrow in your forge but we chased it away!”

Nikola raised his eyebrow at that and went to his forge to see that there was a hole in the ground. Azazel was going to be furious.

“I didn’t make a grove.” Lied Nikola and many in the crowd yelled their agreement, telling the rabbit that Wei Caihong was the magic user in the family, not Nikola. But the rabbit crossed his paws in front of his chest and hopped in place.

“I can sense the one who made the grove in this house. It was made by two people, actually. And this man is one of them. The other is a child. My burrow was in the forest and I take offence that no carrots and cabbage were also created. I don’t like apples!”

“Apples?” People begun to look around and the rabbit huffed.

“Apples and grapes and pumpkins and edible mushrooms but no carrots or cabbage! And on my land. I may be a Ghost Liar but I speak the truth this time!” A woman approached the rabbit and pinched him.

“So fat. You’ll make a fine stew or steamed bun fealing.” The rabbit hopped to hide behind Nikola who shielded it. It was sentient and Nikola didn’t like the thought of eating something that could talk outside of rituals.

“Lady, I am a stranger to these lands but wouldn’t a Ghost Liar’s meat make you only tell lies for the rest of your lives?” It was a half-forgotten legend that was now swimming in his mind. There was something additional about the meat but he couldn’t remember.

“That meat is the most delicious there is! You want it for yourself!”

“The rabbit has a right to live.” Retorted Nikola as he hid the animal behind him. Ghost Liar’s were harmless and generally used as bait by more dangerous things…oh. He looked around, waiting for something to jump out and to begin tearing at the villagers but nothing happened. Clouds rolled lazily up in the sky and the sun was shining the last of it’s autumn rays down on everyone. Nikola looked back at the Ghost Liar and then he spoke.

“Did someone send you?”

“No. I just want carrots and cabbage! Don’t let them eat me, please.”

Nikola blinked; the rabbit had spoken the truth. And all that without being pained. What was happening here?

“You just spoke the truth…” Trailed Nikola. He touched the rabbit and then he was flooded with the image of a man with brown hair and blue eyes. The rabbit blinked and then it squealed.

“I don’t want to remember! I don’t lie! Don’t make me remember!”

“The Ghost Liar has gone mad.”

“Trader Nikola was just trying to comfort it.”

“Where is my pot? It is big enough…” The woman from before wasn’t giving up and Nikola took the rabbit’s front paw and dragged him inside, locking the gate behind them.

“I just want carrots…” Said the rabbit. The image he had seen had been nothing more than a flicker, but Nikola could swear there was something familiar about it.

“Come with me. I want you to meet someone.”

The rabbit leaned down so it’s front paws were touching the ground and begun to hop after Nikola. Nikola was soon in the dining room where Penemue and Wei Caihong were talking with Azazel and Bjorn as the children ate around them. Then Penemue sucked in a breath when she saw the rabbit and dropped her chopsticks.

“Pallas?” Nikola wiped his head around and tried to touch the rabbit again but it hopped towards Penemue.

“Father.” It said and then it tugged at it’s own ears, wailing. “No, I don’t want to remember. I came for the carrots and cabbage…”

Penemue slapped the rabbit then and then stood up to hug it. Penemue had done this every time Pallas had had a breakdown. How did a Nephilim turn into a rabbit?

“Pallas, what happened to you?” Asked Penemue as she clutched the rabbit to her chest.

“I wanted to survive after mother sunk the island.” Said Pallas and Nikola sucked in a breath. Pallas had hated Vasiliki, calling her a weakling for not surviving pass his birth. The title of mother fell on Nikola, his sole care provider apart from Penemue.

“Why did you rebel?” Nikola said breathlessly. He needed to know. He had cared about Pallas, not as much as he should have, but he had cared. It had hurt when he had gotten the news that the giant was on the march.

“I’m sorry, mother.” Said Pallas as he let out a sob. “Please turn me back. Even if it’s not as a giant but as a mortal. Give me a second chance at life. I am tired of having to say lies to keep in character with this form.”

“Of course, we will turn you back…” Begun Penemue but Nikola hit the table with his fist.

“So, you can kill some more? Pallas, I am drenched in blood but you are the one who tipped the bucket over me! It’s content is on your hands!” Said Nikola, nostrils flaring. He had lost everything because of his wayward stepson. And he thought that he could just come here and demand to be changed back and receive his wish? But Penemue was already channeling magic into the rabbit before he could stop her and in it’s place soon there was a boy of no more than five years. Pallas hugged her then and wept into her arms.

“There are more Ghost Liars in the burrow in the forest. They want carrots and cabbage to be added to the grove.” Said Pallas between sobs. Nikola stared at Penemue angrily who just stared back with a sneer.

“You will dote on him as if he is your son. Pallas, from now on you will call me mother and him father. And her.” Pointed Penemue at Wei Caihong. “You will call mother as well. And from now on your name is Nathaniel, do you understand?”

“I do…mother.”

“I will not raise this ungrateful shit a second time.” Huffed Nikola and the newly named Nathaniel hid his face in his mother’s bosom to weep some more.

“You want to keep me? You want to see your future sons? Then you will swallow your pride!” Snapped back Penemue and Nikola looked torn at the prospect of never seeing his three sons. He went and sat down at the table and reached out a hand towards Penemue.

“You are cruel beyond words, why do I love you?” He said and he saw Wei Caihong smirking from the corner of his eye. As if to tell him: I told you so. They were both cruel, but at least Wei Caihong didn’t want to leave him.

“You love me because you are mine. Now, what do you have to say to Nathaniel?” Said Penemue and she made Nathaniel turn to look at Nikola. His face was covered in tears and snot. Where was the giant who threw stones around the city of Atlantis? Where was the monster who bellowed at the top of his lungs that he was going to use Nikola’s flesh for his supper? And all that over a crown he was going to get anyway! Hatred rouse in Nikola but Penemue glared at him and he cleared his throat.

“I’m sorry, Nathaniel. Please don’t cry, my son.” Nathaniel lunged at him and hugged his stomach as he begun to weep again. Nikola patted his back gently.

“You’ll get better with practice. We will say that he is your firstborn…”

Nikola glared at Penemue and pointed at Ryota.

“He is my firstborn by you. You are not taking this from him.”

“My son will not be known as a bastard!” Screamed Penemue and the candles sniffed out. Nikola snapped his fingers and they lit up again.

“Say you married someone else when I got kicked out of Troy. But Pallas was and will always be just my stepson. I will not give him more.”

“Nathaniel.” Hissed at him Penemue and Nikola repeated the name. She wanted him to claim her spawn as his own. And he was going to do just that. But not on her terms. “Nathaniel, the son of Pen and Cas.” Penemue sucked in a breath. Cas was one of Nikola’s many suitors who had nearly married him. He had actually been a Trojan king, a good match. And Penemue had thrown him into the volcano of Atlantis when Nikola had begun to develop feelings for him. Penemue never knew that Nikola had found out. Had she known she would have wiped the knowledge out of his mind.

“Do you miss him?” Wei Caihong showed interest then. So, he wasn’t the first with whom Nikola had strayed.

“I tried to bring him back knowing the cost and then I let go of his ghost only after he begged me. So, what do you think?”

“Fine, then. He is mine and Cas’ son. But you are still going to call him son and he is still going to call you father.” Nikola nodded his agreement and then picked up Nathaniel and placed him next to Ryota.

“You two are brothers and both are Nephilim. Get to know each other. I have a crowd to disperse.”

Wei Caihong stood up and blocked his way out of the door.

“Penemue is not so perfect anymore, is she?” He asked as he wrapped his arms around his neck. His robe rolled up and Nikola saw a love bite.

“Did you enjoy yourself last night?” He asked and watched Wei Caihong frown at him.

“You pushed us together in bed, my Emerald. Don’t complain now.”

“I was just asking.” He spoke. He wanted at least Wei Caihong to remain with a veil over his eyes when it came to Penemue. Wei Caihong leaned in to whisper in his ear.

“We didn’t do much. She doesn’t have much of an imagination and her kisses bored me soon. Not to mention she tried to drug me with an aphrodisiac.”

“Try to get along.” Said Nikola tiredly as he kissed his husband’s neck. He trailed a couple of wet kisses up until he reached the jawline and then felt a smirk on Wei Caihong’s lips. He looked up to see that there was a challenge in his eyes, but they weren’t looking at him. He trailed his look and saw a fuming Penemue eating her breakfast. Azazel was snickering at his sister’s discomfort and Bjorn was looking like he didn’t want to be there, considering that Penemue was on his other side and looked like she wanted to gauge out someone’s eye with her spoon.

“Don’t forget to tell Madam Wu about the jade deposit.” Said Wei Caihong and Nikola groaned. They had picked the silks in advance and now Wei Caihong was in lovely mostly red silks with black trims. There was a black ribbon in Wei Caihong’s hair. He then looked at Penemue who was still wearing men’s robes.

“Wei Caihong, do you have silks to spare for Pen, Ryota and Nathaniel?” He added the last name as an afterthought although Nathaniel looked up from his spot next to Ryota and beamed at him. Nikola smiled back despite himself.

“Tao Jiao has all my bundles. You earned them, make those three whatever they need.” Said Wei Caihong after he stole another kiss. Nikola was grateful that Wei Caihong had not been difficult about this. He picked his hand and kissed it as if his husband was a lady in truth. Nikola then exited and when he exited the front gate too, he saw that the crowd had gone bigger and there were people with pots and knives in it too.

“Shame on all of you.” Said Nikola as he pointed at a man with a butcher’s knife. “The Ghost Liar is gone. There is no meat to be had. Now go home.” People begun to grumble but they left. Then Nikola went to his shop where Tao Jiao, the seamstress, was sewing temporary while her own house was being extended to accommodate a shop of her own.

“Madam Tao, I have three new customers for you. My wife, the lady Pen. My son, Ryota. And her son, Nathaniel. Can you go to the house to take their measurements? Wei Caihong said you can use his silks. And make some ribbons for the lady Pen.” He said on a whim. Penemue was already lovely but there was something sharp about her. He needed to be subtle if he wanted to put a veil on his eyes about her.

“Is there something in particular you want me to make them?” Asked the seamstress and Nikola became thoughtful.

“Everyday robes and…wedding robes for Pen and Wei Caihong. I will wear my old wedding robe to the wedding.” He hadn’t thrown it away and his wedding to Wei Caihong hadn’t been that long ago. But he was not going to wear a veil this time. He would leave that to his wives.

“Oh, you are getting married again? How…fortunate.” Tao Jiao smiled awkwardly and Nikola knew she wanted to use another word but held her tongue least she lost one of her best paying customers.

“It is. I will not keep Pen as a concubine. She deserves better.” Even though she really didn’t. But he had chosen her, hadn’t he? What a mess his life was now.

Then he exited without another word and went to deal with the dragon in human form. He rented a cart and as they travelled up the hill to get to the magistrate’s palace he spoke with the driver, asking him if there could be wagons for hire for his family’s trip to the capital.

“You are very sure your apprentice will reach it, eh, trader Nikola?”

Nikola hummed. Han Shanyuan was a bright kid, driven and with a good head on his shoulders. He said all that to the driver and he chuckled.

“I wasn’t saying anything to the contrary, good man. I was there when he presented his essay. He had good points. Your son did too, but we are a poor village and some found his essay insulting. You tell him to think more about that next time. By the way, trader, when are you going to start helping us with our goal to become a fishing village? I want to buy a boat and nets.”

Well, Nikola would need to make the nets the old-fashioned way. Or he could delegate.

“Are there any people that remember how to make nets and boats still in the village?” Asked Nikola and the driver puffed up his chest.

“You are looking at the only one. My father thought me before a mermaid took him into the ocean.”

“And if I get you the materials will you start working?” Asked Nikola and the driver beamed at him.

“You are too kind, trader Nikola. Has anyone told you that?”

“I’ll take that as a yes. You make a list and I will see what I can do. If the gathering of the materials takes longer than a week then Basil will make sure you get everything you need.” They spend the rest of the ride in silence and soon Nikola was let in the palace by overeager servants.

“Madam Wu send people after you and they saw the deposit you marked. They say it’s the biggest they have ever seen. And the jade is so pure too.” Nikola wondered why the servants were so happy and then one of them spoke.

“Master Wu is going to step down as a magistrate to manage the mine. Madam Wu and he are going to take their children and live in the forest. We will all be free soon.” Then the servant slapped a hand on her mouth as if she had said too much. Nikola wasn’t surprised. These people were going to get more as fishermen. But didn’t that meant that Madam Wu was going to place her house in his grove? Poor Ghost Liars, not only won’t they get their carrots and cabbage, they would be left without their burrows too.

Madam Wu hugged him when he entered the living room and placed him in front of a table ladened with apples and berries.

“I have the perfect place for my new home. You camped there so don’t pretend you don’t know it. It’s a piece of the Heavens. Have an apple and give me the contract.”

Nikola simply gave her the contract without reaching for an apple. Once he demolished the two houses neighboring his he was going to get himself a big garden with all kind of sweet fruits. And a tall wall so no one saw them. Madam Wu rolled open the scroll and read it quickly. Then she snapped it shut and popped a berry in her mouth.

“Your Wei Caihong might become a magistrate again. Or…you might. Yes!” She looked very happy with herself as she said that and Nikola waved his hands in front of himself.

“I am a foreigner in these lands and…”

“You will breeze through the state exam, you hear? And with you as a magistrate we can build a very big house! Yes! Husband, I found your replacement!” She yelled and Mister Wu came waddling in and staring, looking for a Chinese man, probably.

“Who, my little peach?” Nikola looked at Madam Wu. She was shaped like a peach, just not a little one.

“Him!” She pointed at Nikola and Mister Wu got a glint in his eyes which Nikola didn’t like.