Mana Soul: Chapter 36 - The Migration - Aela

German - Blue French - Green English - Red

As Aela had expected, Skien arrived only a few minutes later with Loken and Hesta, a shy chimaera with predominantly feline features. If Aela remembered correctly, she was one of Magnus’s cousins.

After spotting them, Skien quickly made his way over. “I see Young Frohd beat us to it,” he joked anxiously.

Markus nodded, “Strida said that ah, I’m sorry I don't know your name,” he apologized to Hesta.

“M-my name is Hesta,” the feline chimaera stammered anxiously.

“Right, Strida said that perhaps Hesta's family wouldn't mind using their dwelling?” Markus suggested.

With visible relief, Skien nodded, “I had wanted to tell them as well, but they are out hunting,” he explained and began leading them to Hesta’s family dwelling.

“Is that why Maeve’s family didn't tag along?” Markus asked curiously.

Aela nodded, “Probably, it is also probably why Frohd and Maeve were so nervous too."

Markus frowned slightly and wrinkled his brow, “I thought you said there weren't any ceremonies or anything? You just decide to be together and that's that?"

Aela smirked and shook her head, “There aren't any rules or any ceremonies like you humans do. But parents still like to know what is going on."

“Oh, that makes sense...” Markus agreed amiably, “Should we wait for Hetsa’s family then?"

Loken and Hesta immediately gave each other worried looks.

“Ah actually, Skien do you know...Uhm...Moln-” Markus was struggling with names again.

“Mjoln,” Aela corrected with a chuckle.

Markus smiled and bobbed his head, “Right, Mjoln, do you think you could try and find his family for me? Oh and Mjoln. As well as his promised, assuming he has one,” Markus asked. “He and his promised were another pair I wanted to give the treatment to as well and I would rather give the explanation of the procedure just once more and be done with it,” he sighed good-naturedly.

Skien looked a little worried.

“Don't worry, there is enough for the four of them,” Markus reassured him confidently.

With visible relief, Skien nodded, “I can try,” he agreed.

Arriving at Hesta’s family dwelling, Skien hurried off to find Mjoln and his family.

Mjoln’s family was not as adept at hunting as other chimaeras, so they were usually patrolling around the clan-home in case of emergencies and to keep an eye on the younger chimaeras of the clan. So it was very unlikely that Skien would not be able to find them. As for his promised, Aela had a few guesses, but she had never been that social because of her shunned status, so she honestly couldn't be sure.

“Ah, uhm?” Hesta stammered hopelessly, trying to get Aela’s attention.

“What is it?” Aela asked suspiciously.

Hesta flinched, “Will this really let us have a child?” She asked timidly.

“Of course,” Aela snorted derisively.

“Ah, alright...B-but why is it then that...” Hesta lost her nerve, quailing under Aela’s intense glare. Retreating behind Loken, she did her best to avoid eye contact.

Markus stepped in front of Aela with a concerned expression, “Are you alright?” He asked quietly and took hold of her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Aela didn’t want to make a big deal about it. Hesta obviously had not intended anything malicious by what she had said and was just nervous about the treatment. Aela knew that, but it didn’t seem to matter. She still felt humiliated and angry. Aela didn’t know how to explain it to Markus and even wanted to avoid it if possible. He would only think less of her for it, or maybe think she was trying to pressure him into having children before he was ready.

“If you don't want to tell me, it’s alright,” Markus said quietly, “It’s just...I know this must be hard for you."

Aela didn’t know what to say, so she nodded and avoided looking him in the eyes. Aela knew she just needed a moment to calm down and get her head straight again, then that would be the end of it.

Markus was about to say something else but was interrupted by the arrival of Skien, Mjoln and his family.

Like Njal, Mjoln’s father Dustin had three children with the same life-mate However, that was where the similarities ended since both Dustin and his Life-mate Yiva were still alive. The primary source of Mjoln’s bovine bull-like traits, Dustin had large sharpened horns, a phenomenally large and powerful physique as well as a thin yet powerful tail.

In comparison, his life-mate Yiva was quite small for a chimaera and had cervine traits like a goat. She had strange eyes, large curling horns and nervously trotted about on cloven hooves. Their eldest two children were absent, most likely covering the duties of their parents and sibling.

Looking at Mjoln next to his parents, it was obvious which traits were inherited from whom. Although he was not nearly so large as his father, not nearly so hairy or fleet-footed as his mother.

Beside Mjoln was Astrid, the tusked chimaera who had been on guard duty when they first arrived at the clan-home. Although she had tusks, Astrid also had a mouth full of sharp teeth and had powerful claw-tipped fingers inherited from her father. She had thick bristling fur that covered most of her body and was littered with scars of all shapes and sizes, Aela knew Astrid was a brawler and never backed down from a fight, just like her mother before she had died in a dungeon with Astrid’s eldest brother.

“So this is the outsider huh?!” Dustin growled, stepping forward and looming over Markus in an overt attempt at intimidation.

Narrowing his eyes, Markus looked up and met Dustin’s gaze without flinching, “I am,” he replied simply, a hint of challenge in his voice.

“THE ONE WHO BEAT MY SON?!” Dustin roared, webs of veins protruding all over his body.

“Still me,” Markus replied stoically.

“Then I have just one thing to say to you?!” Dustin growled quietly, opening his arms out wide and lowering his stance as if to charge.

Markus shifted slightly to place himself between Dustin and Aela, a small frown on his lips.

Suddenly launching himself forwards, Dustin moved too quickly for Markus to react and swept him up into his heavily muscled arms. “Oh thank you so much for doing this! I just couldn't bear to think what would have happened to my beautiful baby boy inside the dungeon!” He cried, tears running freely down his cheeks as he threatened to crush Markus against his powerful chest.

Yiva gently patted Dustin’s back reassuringly and wiped away a few tears of her own, “Our baby boy is becoming a man."

Mjoln looked mortified, blushing heavily and hiding his face in his hands.

“I think it’s sweet that your dad cares so much,” Astrid reprimanded Mjoln, following it up with a solid jab to the thigh. “If I wanted an emotionally stunted meat-head for a life-mate, I would have chosen Garn."

This was why Aela had not been too worried, Dustin was a legendary softie. Besides the clan or his family being threatened, he just didn't have it in him to hold a grudge, let alone deliberately hurt someone. Although, with that last thought in mind, Aela cleared her throat loudly, “You can put Markus down now,” she said in such a way that made it clear it was not a suggestion.

“Oh? Right, yes...” Dustin quickly set Markus down and released him, “S-sorry, it's just this a big day for us...” He apologized to Markus.

After coughing and gasping, Markus waved his hand dismissively, “Don't worry about it,” he croaked, leaning on Aela as he took deep steadying breaths. “You are Mjoln’s family?"

Yiva, slapped her forehead, “Ah! where are our manners!” She gave Dustin a pointed look and tilted her head to Markus, then gave his back a sharp slap as well for good measure.

Dustin didn’t so much as flinch, likely not even feeling it through his tough hide, “Ah, right! I am Dustin Ghotrisohn, Mjoln’s father and this is my life-mate Yiva Findrdottir, Moln’s mother."

Yiva bowed slightly.

Markus nodded and smiled, “It is a pleasure to meet you."

Astrid gave Mjoln an expectant look and nudged her head towards Markus, “Ahem!"

Quickly getting the message, Mjoln flinched, “Ah, right. This is my promised Astrid Nannadottir!” He announced hastily.

Markus smirked and gave Aela an amused glance before returning his attention to the group. “Since everyone is here now, we can get started."

All the gathered chimaeras grew excited.

Withdrawing four beads from his belt pouch, Markus handed them out to Astrid, Mjoln, Loken and Hesta. He then gave them the same description of the process as Frohd and Maeve. When offered the addition of the leather cord to hold the bead, both Astrid and Hesta readily agreed. Unlike Frohd, Loken and Mjoln required no further explanation on where exactly the bead needed to be held for it to work.

“Alright, since Loken and Hesta are ready, I’ll activate the enchantment and then if Dustin and Yiva could lead us to your dwelling, I can activate the beads for Mjoln and Astrid,” Markus explained as he tapped at his tablet.

Promptly afterwards, the expected noises began filtering through the gaps in the dwelling’s walls.

Momentarily stunned, none of the chimaeras paid attention to Markus’s insistent coughing, and pointed looks. “Do you not want the treatment after all?” Markus threatened, his ears and cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

As if struck by lightning, the chimaeras suddenly sprang back to life. “Ah, yes! Follow me!” Dustin proclaimed and began rushing off towards the centre of the clan-home.

Aela could have led Markus there herself, but it was kind of endearing to see him flustered like that. The dwelling’s of Mjoln’s extended family were actually located quite close to the great-hall and would always be established that way for one very important reason. The protection of the clan’s children was paramount.

Before a member of the clan would leave the clan-home, they would bring their children to Mjoln’s family to protect and take care of them. Their dwellings were located within a second defensive ring of earthworks and patrolled by guards who took to their assigned role with fanatical devotion.

Seeing where they were headed, Markus was surprised. While theirs was not the only family to have personal earthworks established around their families dwellings, Mjoln’s family certainly had the largest.

Perhaps what caused the biggest reaction from Markus was discovering the nursery. The nursery was similarly built to the livestock pens used by the humans, although the fence was four feet tall and made of sturdy halved logs. Inside the nursery, four children ranging from three to eleven years old were playing with one another and the assorted toys strewn around the ground.

Yiva and Dustin’s eldest daughter Kari, who took heavily after her mother, was slowly strolling around the nursery and separating the children when fights broke out. She gave them a curious glance but quickly returned her attention to the children. Seeing her mother and father leading the group, they were likely deemed a non-threat.

Yiva gave her daughter a friendly wave before disappearing inside one of the smaller dwellings, shooing out the occupant and quickly shoving Mjoln and Astrid inside. Rubbing her hands together excitedly and happily trotting to and fro, Yiva gave Markus an expectant look.

Tapping at his tablet, Markus gave her a perfunctory nod and quickly walked away. Quite interested in the nursery, he approached the fence and gave the children a nervous wave.

Almost immediately, the four children madly dashed towards the fence, “A stranger! Human! A human! Where is his fur? Why is he so small?” The children chattered away while crowding towards him as much as the fence would allow.

Although initially taken somewhat aback, Markus was soon leaning on the fence and trying his best to answer the children’s questions.

“He is good with children,” Yiva said approvingly and gave Aela a telling look.

Aela smiled appreciatively. “I know,” she smiled wistfully and imagined what their children would look like. Would they be more like Markus? Or would they take after her?

The sudden squeals and laughter of the children in the nursery made Aela curious, so she walked over to take a closer look.

The four children were madly chasing a small floating piece of wood around the nursery, scrambling over one another attempting to catch it. Initially unsure of what was happening, Aela quickly noticed the beads lashed to the wood and Markus’s intense look of concentration. At first, it seemed like he was following the piece of wood’s progress around the nursery, however, Aela quickly realized that Markus had to be controlling it directly, otherwise there was no need for him to concentrate so intensely.

Although not very nimble and only a hands span off the ground, it was no wonder the children were so entertained chasing after it. Witnessing the otherwise impossible was an exhilarating experience. Playing on their predatory instincts, chasing the floating piece of wood was very likely the closest experience the children had to hunting. So it was no surprise that they loved it.

As Markus began to grow tired, he let one of the youngest catch the piece of wood after ‘accidentally’ gliding too close while avoiding the other children’s ambush.

“AGAIN! AGAIN!” The children cried excitedly rushing back over to Markus and Aela with the piece of wood.

With his eyes now returned to their normal state, Markus gave them a sad smile and shook his head, “I need to take a rest. Maybe we can play again another time,” he explained to the crestfallen children. After removing the beads, he gave them back the small wooden toy horse. Initially obscured by all the hide cord and the beads, Aela had not recognized it.

“Promise?” The watery-eyed child that had caught the toy sniffled.

“I promise,” Markus leaned over the fence and tussled her hair.

Aela had to hold the back of Markus’s belt so he didn't topple over after overextending himself in his tired state.

Returning the beads to his belt pouch, Markus leaned on her with a contented weariness for a moment before reluctantly drawing away again. “Oh, right, nearly forgot... Yiva? Dustin?"

Both chimaeras had already been chatting quietly with one another nearby and quickly hurried over.

“There are a couple of things we need to talk about before I go back to the great-hall to rest. If you could pass the same on to Strida and Skien as well I would appreciate it,” Markus asked in a tired but still serious tone.

“Of course!” Yiva agreed immediately and Dustin nodded emphatically in agreement.

“Right, so there is a chance that they will have twins. I don't have enough information to give you the actual odds, but it is a possibility. So it would be safest to bring-” Markus stifled another yawn and shook his head, “-excuse me. It would be safest to bring the pregnant female chimeras to the great hall in a few hours or so. That way I can determine if they are having twins or not-"

“You can do such a thing?!” Yiva gasped in surprise.

Markus nodded, “It is one of my artifice’s. I'll show you how to use it later if you like. I was planning on leaving the spare with the clan anyway, amongst a few other artifices. But the second thing, if possible, could you please collect and clean all the beads used for the treatments and return them to me? Ash and water should be fine."

Yiva nodded excitedly, “Alright, this much we should be able to do!” She was trotting eagerly at the prospect of witnessing other artifices.

Letting out a loud yawn, Markus leaned on Aela, this time more heavily. “I really need something to eat and some sleep,” he mumbled drowsily.

Hooking her arm around his back and under his arm, Aela had no trouble supporting Markus as they slowly walked back to the great hall.

Markus barely stayed awake long enough to groggily chew down some roast boar before slumping over onto her lap and falling soundly asleep.

Aela passed the time stroking Markus’s hair and watching him sleep. Since she was still incredibly well rested from the late-morning nap they had taken earlier, she was not nearly tired enough to sleep herself. However, Aela didn’t mind. Similar to spending time together during the day, caring for Markus like this was rather nice too.

As expected, Yiva brought Astrid, Hesta and Maeve along with her into the guild-hall roughly at the appointed time. Their families and life-mates could be heard nervously speaking with one another outside, but Yiva was obviously sensible enough to know such a crowd would be unhelpful.

“Ah, he is still asleep?” Yiva asked, quietly and motioned for the three young women accompanying her to be quiet as well.

Aela nodded, “I think he used more mana playing with the children than he intended,” she explained softly.

Yiva nodded, adventurers mana fatigue was something they had been aware of for quite some time. “We could leave and return this evening,” she suggested.

Aela sighed and shook her head, “No, I’ll wake Markus up in a moment. This is important to him and he would be upset if something otherwise avoidable happened because he was resting."

Yiva and the other chimaeras were surprised, somewhat understandably so since they did not know Markus as well as she did. While he had demonstrated an accepting and generous nature to the chimaeras thus far, they had still likely suspected an ulterior motive or perhaps this was all favours on Aela’s behalf.

Gently Jostling Markus’s shoulder, it didn't take long for him to stir and let out a long tired yawn.

“Is it..oh, hello,” Markus waved tiredly at the gathered chimaeras, “Just give me a few minutes to gather my things and wake up a bit more before we get started...” He yawned loudly again, shakily got to his feet and staggered towards their room.

A short while later, Markus returned, dragging two packs behind him and fumbling awkwardly with one of his tablets with his other hand. “Alright, just a bit longer,” Markus explained, sitting back down by Aela and withdrawing his etching tools from one of the packs. Deliberately letting out a long loud yawn to get it out of his system, he then carefully scratched two more sigils into the tablet resembling a sun and crescent moon.

Next, grunting from the effort, Markus pulled out one of the two mana reservoirs from the other pack and set it down nearby. Next Markus withdrew six more beads and threaded them on to hide cords and tied them off to make necklaces. “Okay, I think that is everything for the moment,” he stretched and rolled his neck. “I suppose it would probably be best to get started now."

“Ah, so, what is it that needs to be done?” Yiva asked respectfully.

“Hrm, the floor is probably uncomfortable, so it would be a good idea to lay down a couple of furs so whoever is being assessed doesn't fidget so much,” Markus suggested helpfully.

Yiva nodded and dragged over some of the larger furs that were sitting in the corner and were normally lent to guests staying in the main hall overnight. “What is next?"

“Alright, our first patient will need to lay down on their back. It is much easier to get a better look while they are laying relatively level with the floor or ground for reasons that will become obvious,” Markus explained and waited for Hesta, Astrid or Maeve to volunteer and lay down on the furs.

Ever fearless, it was Astrid who moved first, laying down on her back as he had instructed and waited patiently for the next step.

“Okay. Now that the patient is laying down and comfortable, I will show you how to use the mana viewing tablet,” Markus picked up the tablet and waved for Yiva to come closer, “Because I intend to leave this tablet for the clan to use, I had to make a few changes so you would be able to use it without requiring an Artificer to recharge the mana. I will explain a bit more about that after we assess our first patient. So, to activate this artifice, you need to briefly hold your thumb or finger over this etching of the sun,” Markus pointed at the sun he etched earlier, and then pressed his thumb on it. The tablet suddenly began to glow and revealed Astrid’s mana

Reacting just as other chimaeras had done, it took a couple of minutes for them to quiet down again.

“As you can now see, the artifice allows you to see chimaera mana when looking through the tablet. Using this enchantment means you can get a good idea of a chimaeras mana level, but also, in the case of pregnant chimaera-” Markus hovered the tablet over Astrid’s abdomen, “-you can see the unborn child inside the womb."

“Amazing!” Yiva clapped her hands excitedly and leaned in closer to get a better look.

Smiling slightly despite how tired he must have been, Markus gestured for Yiva to take the tablet, “Here, there is another function I want to show you but I also need to show you something else too."

Yiva gratefully accepted the tablet and gingerly held it close to Astrid’s abdomen as Markus had done.

“Because you can't use the mana as I can, I added a function that makes the image larger, so you can better see details or early development. If you press the crescent moon with your thumb or finger, it will increase the size of the image by roughly two times, centred on the middle of the tablet. If you press it a second time, it will increase the size again and if you press it a third time it will return the image back to the original size. Understand?" Markus stifled a yawn and wobbled unsteadily.

Yiva nodded somewhat uncertainly, then experimentally pressed against the crescent symbol as Markus had instructed. “Wow...” Just as he had said, the image became much larger, making it easier to see the newly conceived child in Astrid’s womb. Pressing it again, made the image even larger but it was now visibly shaking, the minor trembling in Yiva’s hands becoming many times more pronounced in the image.

“Alright, so I can tell that at this stage, it is incredibly unlikely that she is having twins. If you look here, you should be able to see the difference between the two right?” Markus was holding out his other tablet with a still image taken from checking Freja or Frigg earlier. Tapping at his tablet a couple of times, he shifted the image again and then again. “These images are from roughly the same amount of time passing from conception, so they are a pretty good reference point. I would still recommend checking perhaps once a day for the first week though, just in case something was missed or unexpected happens. It is probably safe to assume chimaeras pregnancies aren't all the same right?” He asked inquisitively.

Nodding her head, Yiva was staring intently between the still image in Markus’s tablet and comparing it against the one shown on her own. “Birthings can be dangerous as well, but with this artifice, a great many of those complications can be spotted early and prepared for. This is truly magnificent!"

“Yiva is the clan’s head midwife,” Aela explained for Markus, understanding that he wasn’t to have known something like that.

“Oh! Then the mana transfer necklaces should help in that regard too!” Markus grabbed one of the necklaces he prepared earlier and handed it to Yiva. “I was going to explain it later, but now is fine too. So there are basically two types of necklaces, the ones that siphon mana to the wearer and the ones that siphon mana from the wearer. I have already handed out a pair for Bjorn, Freja, Ulf and Frigg, since chimaera bearing twins are at high risk for over-consuming mana. While wearing a matching pair, the necklace with the red glowing bead will receive mana and the blue bead will give mana. This way family members or other volunteers can share the load and make it more manageable."

Yiva nodded thoughtfully, “Yes, this is indeed very valuable,” she agreed, most likely considering the use of such artifice in the final days of even regular pregnancies when the mother was most at risk.

“Because you have no means of recharging my artifices without seeking out a trustworthy Artificer, I have modified the enchantment on these six necklaces to be a little different. Instead of directly transferring to one another, the siphoned mana instead is stored in this large mana storage crystal,” Markus slapped his hand on the squat column of quartzite beside him, “That mana, in turn, can be transferred to receiving necklaces in the vicinity as well as that tablet. So as long as you have volunteers to donate mana into the storage crystal, you will be able to continue using the tablet and distributing mana to those who need it."

Yiva was speechless.

“Oh, you should be able to see the level of mana in the storage crystal by looking at it with the tablet as well. It is pretty much empty at the moment though. Oh, also, the mana transfer necklaces linked to the storage gem are green for giving and pink for taking. You should probably put other things on the necklaces just in case people forget which is which though. The beads change colour when they have mana and come into skin contact,” Markus’s fatigue was causing him to ramble again.

Rather certain that there were no other artifice’s Markus was intending to give away, Aela stood up and dragged Markus up to his feet.

He gave her a confused look and was about to ask a question when he was interrupted by his own deep yawn.

“You need to eat something and then sleep,” Aela insisted, lifting Markus up and slinging him over her shoulder with one arm and grabbing his leftover food from earlier with her free hand. Markus didn’t put up much of a fight, apparently even too tired to manage that much.

Gently laying Markus down on their bed of furs, Aela thrust the warm haunch of roasted boar in his face and didn't take it away until he swallowed three large mouthfuls. Markus didn't fall asleep right away like Aela expected. He just looked at her with a tired and expectant expression, as if waiting for her to do something.

Initially confused, Aela thought that perhaps Markus was still hungry and started to get up to fetch more food.

“Stay...with...me?” Markus asked softly. The way his eyelids were slowly drooping, it was clear that Markus was struggling to stay awake and wouldn’t hold out much longer.

“Alright,” Aela smiled warmly and laid down beside him.

Markus managed to give her a small appreciative smile in return before falling asleep.

Reaching out and drawing Markus closer, Aela gently rubbed his head and hummed contentedly. With Yiva now available to handle any potential emergencies, Markus would now have more free time to spend with her again. Assuming that there would be no complications with the final fertility treatment.

Knowing Markus had left the selection of the recipient to mother, Aela was a little worried. It wouldn't take long for the existence of the treatment to spread amongst the clan. To say competition for the final treatment would be fierce was an understatement.

Thankfully, Markus had inadvertently done himself a huge favour in giving Mjoln and Astrid two of the treatments. With the crucial roles Mjoln’s family served in the clan, no one would begrudge them receiving such gifts. As for Astrid's family, well, only the truly stupid would pick a fight with them. Similarly, Freja and Frigg’s extended family would support Markus, if only to receive future priority and access.

On the other hand, Markus’s choice to give so many treatments to Skadi’s family members might cause problems with so many being used by Svala and her children already. Family alliances within the clan were incredibly complicated already and Markus’s generosity had just made it so much more so.

Knowing that her mother was the clan’s chieftain not just because she was strongest but also ruthlessly cunning, Aela wondered how she would choose to resolve the situation. Would mother give the final treatment to one of her allies? To one of the neutral families maybe?

Knowing her mother would keep her own counsel regarding such an important matter, Aela had little choice but to wait and see what would happen.

Being a light sleeper and already incredibly well rested from the early sleep last night, Aela woke with a start. Their faces less than a finger apart, Markus was straddled on top of her with a panicked and embarrassed expression. Feeling pressure and warmth emanating from her chest, Aela’s eyes immediately darted down to her chest.

Markus’s hand was tightly gripping her chest and Aela could feel every minor movement of his fingers. Convinced she was dreaming, Aela couldn’t look away. It had to be a dream. Markus had never been this direct or forceful before.

A long silence passed between them before Markus hastily pulled back his hand. “I. Sorry! Trying reach tablet. Accident! SORRY!” He stammered, apparently too rattled to string together a coherent sentence.

With the removal of his hand, she felt disappointed. “You know, you can touch me there whenever you want,” Aela offered hopefully.

Markus stumbled and fell backwards, a nervous and confused expression on his face, “W-what?” He stammered,

Aela arched her back and cupped her hands behind her head. “I said you can touch if you want to,” she repeated coyly.

Seeing how Markus was staring buoyed Aela’s self-confidence. However, as Markus reached out to take advantage of her offer, she was confused as his hand shifted direction and reached beneath her back instead. Rationalizing that Markus was perhaps attempting to remove the protective cloth covering her chest to touch her directly, Aela became excited again.

A few moments later, Markus withdrew his hand.

Aela recognized the faintly glowing crystal of his tablet now held in that hand and made no attempt to hide her disappointment, “Oh..." Aela’s newly found self-confidence had taken a blow and she couldn't help but cross her arms protectively over her chest.

After a short while, Markus nervously cleared his throat, “So, Peabody has confirmed that occupation of the castle will begin in about a week. It should be alright for the clan to move at any time right?” As he asked the question Markus furrowed his brows and became momentarily lost in thought, “You know, this is kind of awkward considering the circumstances. I don't think I actually know where the castle is. I mean, I know it borders the deadlands and the great valley because people have told me that. But I don't think I have actually seen a map that marks either of them."

A chime sounded from Markus’s tablet.

Aela furrowed her brows, she only had a vague sense of their locations herself. Her mother’s personal map was broad details only, basically depicting the continent and dividing the various territories by who controlled them. From what Aela could recall, the great valley was roughly west of the clan’s current location, bordering the deadlands, the southern kingdom and this princedom.

“Aela?” Markus asked hesitantly, “If I showed you a map, do you think you could show me where we are?"

Aela blinked in surprise, ”What?"

“Peabody has shared a detailed map with me, but it doesn't have villages marked on it. But it has the Jarldom capital, Skalisberg and it also has the town of Endem, if that helps,” Markus held out the tablet for her to take a look.

Somewhat used to the strange abilities of Markus’s artifices, seeing an intricately detailed and ornamented map displayed on the screen of the tablet did not awe her as much as it otherwise would have. Even still, Aela had the impression that such a map would normally be incredibly expensive. There was an obvious omission of course. The deadlands, besides a few noteworthy features along the border, was left blank.

In order to answer Markus's question, Aela used the places she was familiar with in order to roughly approximate the clan’s position, “I think we are here,” she replied, pointing to a forest on the map and handing the tablet back again.

Markus nodded, “How long do you think it would take for us to walk to Skalisberg from here?"

“Maybe a week and a half?” Aela replied somewhat apprehensively, “Is that where we are headed next?"

“Well, maybe. I did tell Phillipe that I would meet with him. Also, hiring a carriage to ride back to Endem will probably save some time, right?” Markus asked.

Aela nodded, walking straight back to Edem on foot would take three or four weeks. Perhaps longer at Markus’s pace.

Markus nodded with a thoughtful expression on his face, “I figure we stay maybe a couple of days in Skalisberg. After that, we can hire a carriage to take us to Endem. Then I can talk with Abigail about what she would like to do. If she wants to come with us, we can all travel to the castle together. If she doesn't, then I will have to arrange for an allowance for her and Arlee and leave some golems to protect them." He let out an exasperated sigh and shook his head, “I would honestly prefer if they came with us. Being so far away from them...It makes me nervous. I just keep thinking something bad will happen, you know?"

Aela nodded again. She was already quite aware of the mounting stress Markus had been accumulating while separated from his surrogate family. Even though she could not fully understand his decisions sometimes, Aela knew that Arlee meant a great deal to Markus. Anyone watching the two of them would take it for granted that she was his daughter. But if you paid more attention to Markus himself, there was always an inexplicable sadness to be seen shortly after her absence. Aela had wanted to talk to him about it but suspected Markus didn’t have an answer to give her beyond what Aela had already guessed on her own.

Growing more serious, Markus stretched and got to his feet. “Do you think Yiva would be awake yet?” He asked somewhat anxiously.

“Hrm?” Aela hadn't expected that question, “Yiva? Yes, she has probably been awake for at least a couple of hours already."

“Really?” Markus asked, probably surprised by what he considered the early hour of the morning.

Aela couldn't help but smirk, “Markus, maybe you didn't know? Most chimaeras don’t sleep more than a few hours each day."

Markus just stood there with a stunned expression on his face. “Is that true?” He asked somewhat faintly. Thinking About it for a moment, Markus’s expression changed and he began nodding his head, “It would be because of the dungeon mana,” Markus concluded confidently, although that confidence wavered as he considered Aela with mounting curiosity.

“I said most,” Aela reminded him playfully, happy that she had his undivided attention again. “Being cold makes me feel lethargic and sluggish and even though it isn't the same, being too hot makes me sleepy."

Markus thought about what she said for a moment, before shrugging as if letting the matter go. He had probably just concluded that she was different in many other ways, so why not this one as well. “Anyway, I am a little worried I may have missed something when I was explaining things to Yiva yesterday. So I am planning on visiting her to make sure. Did you want to come with me? Or would you rather stay here where it is warmer? I don’t mind."

“I’ll go with you,” Aela replied hastily, unwilling to let Markus out of her sight. With her mother’s decision on who would receive the final fertility treatment still unknown, it was possible someone desperate or foolish enough might try something.

Pulling on her tunic, Aela was about to tell Markus that she was ready to go when sharp knocking sounded from the door. “Svala wants to see you,” Magnus called out from the other side of the door.

“It’s probably just to settle the final fertility treatment,” Markus sighed.

Aela nodded, “Probably,” she agreed.

Leaving their room, Aela found that her mother, Magnus and a pair of female wolf-like chimaera she did not recognize sitting around the hearth-fire. Just as Aela’s attention was drawn to the strangers, their attention was fixed on Markus.

Aela scowled. The fact that she did not recognize them, meant that these two chimaeras were from another clan. What was mother up to now? She wondered. Was she seeking an alliance with another clan and using the fertility treatment as a gift?

Markus warily sat down opposite the strangers and Aela squatted down next to him. If either of the strangers attempted something, Aela would be ready for them.

Svala loudly cleared her throat to draw everyone's attention. “Markus, am I correct in assuming that there is still at least one fertility treatment remaining as you promised?" It was a deliberate restructuring of the truth, since Markus had, in fact, said that there might be one remaining, not that it was guaranteed.

The slight twitch of his right eye was enough to tell Aela that Markus had noticed as well. “There is still one treatment left, and as I agreed yesterday, I am alright with you deciding who receives it,” he clarified.

Svala nodded and smiled magnanimously, “I have decided to share this gift with the Shadow-Maw clan. Specifically with our guests Signy and Kari,” she gestured to the two strangers in turn and they each bobbed their heads slightly to Markus.

“It is truly a generous gift,” Kari announced excitedly.

Signy nodded in emphatic agreement, “Such a shame that we did not bring Kirk or Hagen on this visit,” she lamented bitterly.

Markus furrowed his brow, “So, who is receiving the treatment?"

Signy and Kari shared an embarrassed look with one another but remained silent.

“Ah, perhaps I should explain?” Svala interjected, “Both of our esteemed guests have already undergone the change from destroying dungeon hearts of their own. I actually wanted to know if it would be possible to give the bead containing the treatment to Signy and Kari?"

Markus frowned slightly, “Just because they have the bead, doesn't mean they would be able to use it,” he reminded her dryly, making it abundantly clear that he would not be accompanying the bead.

Svala’s smile did not waver for even a moment, “Surely an Artificer of your skill could think of something to accommodate this request, no?” She asked brazenly.

“I could,” Markus agreed non-committaly, “But there would be no way for them to detect twins and I don’t have the materials to make the requisite artifices."

Aela could tell by Markus’s tone that he was refusing, but her mother’s unwavering smile and predatory gaze left Aela on edge.

“Hrm, then it can't be helped then? Ah, but what if the Shadow-Maw joined us at the castle?” Svala asked as if suddenly struck by inspiration. However, the lack of surprise from Signy and Kari at the suggestion made it clear that they had already discussed it at least to some degree.

Markus cocked his head slightly to one side and narrowed his eyes. He didn’t answer immediately, instead, Markus was taking his time to think things over. “I had not intended to limit my offer to the Blood-Hunter clan in the first place,” he stated carefully, “Provided the chimaeras do not intend harm and obey the law, I won’t turn them away. Are you sure the clans can put aside their rivalries?"

Svala had clearly not expected this response and her shaken expression made it clear that she had underestimated Markus’s generous nature.

Aela softly snorted. Markus's response was pretty much exactly what she had expected. Of course, he was not just referring to the Blood-Hunter and Shadow-Hunter clans either, Markus meant as he said, intending to leave an open invitation to any chimaeras who would take it. Aela wondered if perhaps her mother had fully thought things through in that regard. The hierarchy of strength that determined the leadership and control of the clans would almost certainly begin to collapse as families shifted allegiances to support Markus directly.

Svala recovered quickly, “After sharing the territory for the past year, I can assure you that we have an amicable relationship with the Shadow-Maw clan. Sharing the territory around the castle would not be difficult,” she explained hastily, pretty much confirming Aela’s assessment. “Assuming your laws are not unreasonable, I am sure that the chimaeras of the Shadow-Maw clan and our Blood-Hunter clan will have no objections in following them. So it is only natural that we would be able to share the artifices that you have generously gifted to the clan already."

Markus nodded warily, “Well if that is the case, I suppose I could enchant a second bead to activate the first when they are brought together. But I still think it would be safest if the chimaera receiving the treatment waited until both themselves and their promised or life-mate have ready access to the artifices in case of emergency.” Standing up to go back to their room, Markus took Aela’s hand as a sign that he wanted her to join him.

After returning to their room, Markus closed the door and walked over to his bags. “What do you think?” He asked quietly, probably worried about the strangers and her mother listening in on their conversation.

Aela padded over and knelt down next to Markus before making her reply, “I think that something like this was probably bound to happen eventually, right?"

Markus nodded and sighed, “I am just worried that the knowledge of the treatment becoming widely known so early will cause chimaeras to have disproportionate expectations. No, it's worse than that. I am worried that some will become desperate and violent when they find out that I don’t have a trove of treatments to go around and probably won’t for a while yet. Do you know what I mean?"

“I think so,” Aela agreed, more or less coming to a similar conclusion on her own. “That you have managed to accomplish something like this at all is already nothing short of a miracle. But most chimaeras probably won’t appreciate that, instead, focusing only on what they need to do to get it or becoming angry that there aren't enough to go around."

Markus nodded and sighed again, “That’s pretty much what I figured. Even assuming that dungeons will begin appearing because of the human workers repairing the castle, they would almost certainly be incredibly low level. I don’t know how many treatments I could make from low-level dungeons and that is assuming someone doesn't just keep the dungeon heart to themselves..."

“Huh?” Aela hadn't thought of that. Repairing the castle would require no small number of craftsmen and general labourers, and wherever humans lived, dungeons would appear.

“I suppose I just need to try my best to develop the dungeon snaring artifice. If the dungeons can be forced to appear in a specific place, it would at least be possible to acquire the majority of the necessary mana,” Markus grunted and shook his head. “I could try converting normal mana into dungeon mana, but I honestly don’t think it would be very efficient, assuming it would even work for providing a fertility treatment."

Aela didn't know how Markus would go about doing such a thing but assumed that he knew what he was talking about.

Now holding a pair of beads, one in each hand, Markus’s eyes turned black and silver for only a moment before returning to normal. “Oh well, at least this is sorted out,” he grumbled quietly.

Returning to the great hall, Markus gave one bead each to Signy and Kari, “When the two beads touch, the treatment will activate. If you want to know more about the other artifices, you can ask Yiva." With that, Markus took Aela’s hand and walked outside.

Yiva was of course already up and about, seeing to her duties, as Aela knew she would be.

For the next hour or so, Markus spoke with Yiva about how to use the artifices until she was able to reliably repeat everything back to him to his satisfaction. Including how to use the tablet to contact both himself and the golems in case of emergencies. Not annoyed in the least, Yiva was appreciative of Markus’s concerns and even made some requests for possible future artifices.

Because Markus was adamant about leaving the prisoner with the clan, he convinced Yiva and her family to take responsibility for her. A rather good decision from Aela’s point of view since her mother would likely attempt some sort of extortion in return if asked. As is, their prisoner’s presence had been largely ignored by Svala thus far, but that would not last.

After entrusting the prisoner to Dustin and Yiva, Markus and Aela began their preparations to leave the clan-home. Unsurprisingly, by the time they were ready to leave, there were a number of families setting about constructing sleds and packing their belongings. The decision to move the clan-home had clearly been made and was now underway.

The scene was something Aela had seen many times before, although it had admittedly been under less favourable circumstances than this. It was almost surreal to think that it would be one of the last times she would witness the clan’s migration. Provided Markus’s plans to conquer the great valley were realized, chimaeras as a people would have the opportunity for a permanent home and a chance for their people to grow and thrive like never before.