Ebusuku’s PoV - Laurelin

“Ebusuku.”

Farhad’s call came from the baby’s room I’d sorted out before Gailneth’s birth. Without thinking, I teleported to the room, hoping nothing had gone wrong in the diaper lesson. Maybe he should take the Wizard class this time to whisk away messes.

Our newborn baby had become a boy, which was the source of his concern. The glowing golden eyes and the mentally shared music made it clear the baby was still Gailneth. She had wrapped her fingers around his thumb, and her expression was a picture of concentration. When he tried to free his thumb, her fingers grew longer, almost tendril-like and entwined with other fingers.

“What happened?” I ask, quickly taking in their surprised expressions.

Elleth’s response is only stark confusion. “I’ve never heard of a baby doing this at all.”

“I’d just finished washing her, and afterwards, she grabbed my thumbs and changed to a boy,” Farhad replies, looking bemused.

Gailneth gives a little huff and waves, trying to pull Farhad’s hand with her—his?—motions.

“Are you going to change back, little one?”

A tiny burble comes with her releasing of Farhad’s thumb, but other than her fingers regaining their original shape, there isn’t any change in her appearance.

“It happened after she was holding Master Farhad’s hand,” offers Elleth, and I step forward to offer my own to Gailneth.

When she takes hold of my pinkie finger, I catch the Power use, Protean tickling through my flesh, gaining an understanding of my form; Gail becomes ‘her’ again. Her thoughts made it clear she’d read Farhad earlier and tried to copy some of his music into herself.

“Protean. If I understand correctly, Gail read your body and tried to copy it,” I explain and try to project concern for her safety. Her bottom lip sticking out makes such a cute face, but the danger chills me. The worried notes she hears in my song have her hiccup in surprise, and tears flow when she goes wide-eyed. “You’re not in trouble, but you could hurt yourself, okay? Don’t go playing with that ability.”

“Do you think she’ll follow your instructions?” asks Farhad.

The sulky little pout doesn’t come with any mental objections. “I’ll get something to avoid accidents until Gail understands the need for care better. No other being I’ve known in possession of it was a biological entity.”

The last aside to Farhad has him eying his daughter with concern. She picks on the worry in his song and waves her hands at him, but he’s too careful in picking her up.

“Your body’s music shouldn’t have others' songs copied into it,” I say and brush fingers through the fuzz of hair she has with barely a hint of the palest blond present. “Okay?”

An image of two sets of figures playing instruments suddenly appears in her mind, and the groups slide away from each other. A kiss on her smile earns me a happy squeal, and the figures keep walking away from each other in her mind.

“She seems to understand the need to keep music separate from her own. I’ll send some messages and see what options we have to learn more about keeping her safe.”

Sorry!

The simple word in her thoughts gives me pause at her use of words already.

“You ‌understand words! Then understand that Power is dangerous to you until you’re much older.”

A mental picture of her walking about like we do accompanies a huff.

“That won’t help; you need time to grow and learn the use of your own limbs.”

* * *

It took some time for the messages I sent out to get a reply, but we used the delay to get Gailneth and Elleth better settled. I gave birth to one daughter, but it already feels like I have two; Elleth knows more than I had ever thought one needed to know about children, especially babies.

When we hear back, it’s not to meet up far from the Domain but that they’re on their way; it seems neither Sarah nor Isa have issues travelling in the Elysium Fields. Their arrival though will take some time since Sarah wants to travel under her own power through the Plane instead of gating directly to us.

It’s just as well navigation in the Elysium Fields is simply a matter of travelling with a goal in mind, and within a day, the Plane will see you’ve arrived there. Yet travel with no destination in mind, and then one could wander endlessly in its beauty and never see the same place twice.

Despite their ability to arrive quickly, it's nearly two days before we get a message they’re close. A lot of time that Gail had spent sleeping, and she’d put a portion of her waking hours to use charming her father into plenty of hugs, bestowing sad-eyed looks and chin quivers whenever he appeared concerned about collecting her from my arms. She shows no sign of continuing her rapid growth. I’d been expecting her to be independent within a few years, not for her to develop at a Mortal’s pace; each time I consider the situation, I find myself less concerned.

From our side, the Gate to the Elysium Fields ended up sitting within the Domain’s boundary, yet still surrounded by crystal plinths. It appears as an upright golden-green energy pane within an archway formed by two trees. Even without True Sight, the pane’s surface ripples outwards from the central point to the boundary. I’d have preferred a Portal to a Gate—with the ability to see what lay on the other side—but with a heavenly Plane beyond, the risk was slight. Sage had still insisted on waiting on the other side for Isa to arrive, but Gailneth was unbothered by the wait, wiggling about in my arms in time to the Gate’s music.

Everything to her is music, but rather than swamp her with noise, she can move from piece to piece with a focus I’m sure isn’t natural for a newborn. When she listens to it as a whole, it washes over her in a murmur of white noise. She falls asleep doing either that or focused solely on my song.

We hadn’t been waiting long when the all-clear from Sage prompted me to wave toward the Gate. “They’re here.”

Farhad and Erwarth move before I’ve finished sharing the news, disappearing into the pool nearly as one. Burbling, Gail tries to wave an arm in its direction, but it's a more uncontrolled flailing, and I catch the songs she’s listening to fading into the distance.

“You enjoy the music while we wait, Gail.”

She gurgles away, trying to make a popping noise that works in her mind but not in the flesh.

“Would you like me to hold her, my Lady?” asks Elleth.

I hesitate and immediately know she takes it wrong, but it's a chance to broach something else. “Elleth, I’ve noticed Gail’s not grown noticeably in the day since her birth.”

“That’s normal,” reassures Elleth.

“So I understand based on what you’ve had time to share, but it occurred to me that we might need you around longer than just while we get settled. Growing at a normal pace for a Mortal, she’ll need someone around who is in tune with that pace rather than the eternal years of celestials and immortals,” I say and catch a hint that she sees where I’m heading. “Would you be open to staying on for some years?”

Elleth almost curtsied immediately. “It would be an honour, my lady.”

“There is one condition,” I state, and Elleth freezes. “You’ll need to call me Ebusuku instead.”

Elleth laughs and reaches out to touch Gail’s waving hand. “It would be an honour to be her nurse, Ebusuku.”

“Hopefully, you find yourself more a friend or even a big sister. I’m told they’re important confidants.”

The shocked look from Elleth echoes what I already know from her, and leaning forward, I kiss her forehead. “That’s settled then, but I’ll keep a hold of her for the moment. I’m still amazed by how good it feels holding her.”

“At least your arms don’t get tired,” quips Elleth.

With a smile, I step through and find myself atop a gently sloping hill that runs down to the shoreline of a sapphire-hued rolling ocean. Where it kisses the shore, white beaches stretch out in my senses for hundreds of kilometres.

Upper layers of the Elysium Fields are visible as platforms overhead, with long waterfalls plunging from the closest to land far out into the ocean. It’s a strange place, each platform containing an infinite amount of space, but the limits of each are visible from above and below.

Despite the platforms, sunlight washes the surrounding terrain; with dozens of suns of various shades drifting around, light comes from all directions instead. The warm sunshine of those just rising or setting obliterates any shadow the platforms might cast.

Sarah wears her young form with gemstone eyes, while Isa and Ilya both are in angelic form. With my arrival, Erwarth shifts from Solar to Elf, an action that prompts Isa and Ilya to do the same, taking on their Sunset Elf forms with wild auburn tresses and brilliant but normal-hued eyes. With Gailneth burbling and directing her gold gaze towards Isa, we don’t need to repeat our explanations.

Isa tilts her head to regard Gailneth as if she’s listening to something unheard. Gailneth seems to listen to everything about her, skipping from song to song, having already moved on from Isa’s wild music. It takes a while before Isa runs trembling fingers through her hair and turns to consider Sarah.

Sarah doesn’t budge; she just gives her a sharp-edged smile. “You look ready to toss rainbow cookies; spit it out.”

“There are hints of things from our world in her Song. Her Soul has memories of places I know: our school, Julia’s home, and many other places.” breathes Isa, and the others regard Gailneth in surprise.

“Amdirlain, how were you reborn as my baby?” I ask, and the little darling blinks at me so sweetly with eyes that seem too big for her face. All her attention is back on the music she fully associates as meaning me.

Distracted by Gailneth, I still catch Sarah's approach, and she holds out a golden bangle etched with a spiral pattern of runes. “It won’t dimensionally lock her, but it will restrict her shifting forms. Attune to it before you put it on her; it’ll allow you to set a range of shapes. A shape-shifting species uses it for their prodigies to let them use their Power while keeping them safe.”

It’s a type of object I’ve seen taken many forms in The Exchange; collecting it from her, a simple press of awareness against it confirms its abilities.

“I can hear her understanding of the Song already. There is no certainty that it will continue to restrain her abilities for any length of time,” remarks Isa, and Sarah just pulls a face.

“It should buy some time,” objected Sarah. “Human children don’t normally pick up classes until they’re teenagers, and that same acquisition is relative to other species’ growth patterns.”

“Why do you emphasise song that way?” I ask.

“It's the music inside the essence of everything,” states Isa, and gives me a smile. “Why wouldn’t you emphasise it?”

It’s a smile that turns wintery when she glances at Erwarth and looks like she wants to spit with rage, but instead takes a deep breath. “I can hear your Song, Lómë, and your doubts about me.”

“Why shouldn’t I have my doubts?”

“We’re both on equal footing then. Do you remember when your people left the fight?”

“Yes. Orhêthurin had fallen; there was no chance of defeating Leviathan without her,” responds Erwarth.

“No, Erwarth, that’s just it: you left after he knocked her down the first time,” Isa states.

From Erwarth blanch, it seems she also catches the emphasis on the word.

“I’d like to talk about this, but I also don’t want Gail hearing our songs. I’m sure I don’t remember everything of the day our cities fell, and perhaps more information might change my view. Perhaps we can talk somewhere else?” asks Isa, and turns to look at Ilya. “You don’t have to come along.”

“Where are you planning to go?” asks Ilya suspiciously.

“If it takes an Anar Glinnel to restore her memories, there is only me, and I don’t know enough to sing her memories back,” explains Isa reluctantly. “Imitation of spells is one thing, but while I can wipe out memories in a mind, I’ve never restored them from a Soul.”

“You really want to go into the Abyss?”

“No, I really, really and lashing more oodles of really don’t, but I will ‌to help Amdirlain.”

Ilya winces and stares almost belligerently at Isa. “I hate being underground, but I’d hate worse you being in the Abyss and not being there to guard your back. You’ll do something crazy and have no one to pull you out of it.”

“I will admit I resemble that remark,” Isa says, her voice tight despite her attempt to lighten the mood. She glances at me but seems to think better of whatever she wants to ask, and turn to Erwarth instead. “Even I don’t like the odds around things going wrong if we open a Gate from here. Also not going to ask mum to be away from her Domain, so that leaves you or another Wizard that knows the grottos well enough to open a Gate straight into one.”

“I’ll go with you,” Erwarth replies and I catch she intends to do more than merely see them arrive safely.

“Stay safe, all three of you,” I offer, and Gail almost whimpers sadly from the concern in my music—I’ve seen what happens to celestials captured by demons.

“You had to tell her that, didn’t you?” Ilya sighs, and looks suspiciously at Isa. “Now I know this is a bad idea.”

“Gate to the Elemental Plane of Earth, and then on from there?” asks Erwarth.

Isa nods. “That works for me.”

Catching Erwarth's calm expression has me suspicious that what she’s up to might be riskier than she wants to let me know. “Spend time with your parents, Erwarth. Do that first, not whatever else it is you’ve got planned.”

Raising a hand to bid everyone to wait, I turn my attention to Isa. “Torm said you were involved in the Sunset Elf Prince’s fate?”

Isa’s laughter is answer enough, bubbling up from nowhere, it sets Gail burbling excitedly. “I’ll tell you what I did to him when little ears aren’t listening.”

The Gate opens to a familiar cavern and the three of them ‌move through and when it closes up; I find Sarah still watching Gailneth. Her mental touch while listening to Gail is far lighter than mine. I can barely feel Sarah, but there is a clear familiarity with the music Gail is continually hearing.

Faster than Gail can blink, a relatively small Dragon suddenly sits where Sarah had been standing. My little daughter doesn’t flinch, but ‌giggles in delight at the burst of music that accompanies the transformation. Elleth’s eyes go wide at having an almost horse-sized Dragon with red-diamond scales before us. Jewelled hide causes flares of sunlight to dance around us, and I catch her nostrils flexing with the deep breath she takes.

“I can’t tell anything about her Soul in this state either,” Sarah admits in Draconic, each intonation chiming songs within Gail’s awareness. “Should I assume, while she’s your daughter, her Soul isn’t something you can assess without her being a worshipper?”

“I can feel her Soul’s presence, but that’s all; I don’t know if that is the reason,” I admit and consider her growth since last I’d seen her in Dragon form. “Why did you want to travel on foot through the Elysium Fields?”

“I needed time speaking to Isa without distractions, not that I got as much time as I wanted,” Sarah says, leaning forward enough so Gail can clumsily stroke her snout. “I’m glad Gailneth didn’t need us here immediately; some other matters needed sorting.”

“What do you think? Is there a chance this is her?”

“I don’t know. A chance, yes, but I was the one always being reborn when I was here initially. I also knew her in those lifetimes; as soon as I met her, I’d immediately know who she was to me, even disguised. Now whether because she’s reborn, or that’s not her, I don’t know,” admits Sarah. “Let’s see what Isa can learn; hopefully, it’ll be enough. Their songs are different, but their choruses would work in harmony, so they should be able to teach her the musical counterpoints or whatever they call them.”

“Why is she willing to take the chance?”

“She just needed time to think about things, and she’d had a certainty that Amdirlain was still about in some state. Now there is the possibility that Isa could help her recover herself,” says Sarah, before giving a rare smile. “A better question to ask is: why wouldn’t she take the chance? We are talking about Isa here; she’ll either find what she needs for this or win in some unexpected fashion.”

“You think Gailneth is Amdirlain reborn?” Elleth gasps, looking between us.

Farhad gets in first and motions for calm. “Amdirlain and Isa are the only Anar Souls present in the Titan’s realm from all we’ve learnt. Given that we’re not sure how else we could have had an Anar child; all the other Anar left the Titan’s realm.”

Elleth nodded her understanding and smiled when Gail waved at her. “Maybe another returned?”

“After so many millennia?” asks Sarah. “Plus, while Isa said life’s important events can bind souls together, I find it hard to believe there is suddenly another of them here just in time to be reborn as your daughter.”

“I thought you said you weren’t an Anar?” I ask, curious how she can speak with such certainty and hoping she’ll be open enough to learn more.

“I wasn’t, can’t you tell?” teases Sarah and thumps a forepaw on the ground. “She sang me into existence; I’ve always been a Dragon in this realm. Most of the time, an Adamantine Dragon, and I lived on this Plane when I wasn’t out hunting. It’s why I didn’t want to rush to meet you, ‌and it's just as well. Far more memories than I expected surfaced on our way through the layers.”

“Doesn’t it make you feel stressed being here?” Farhad asks.

Sarah’s snout wrinkles and she transforms back into her odd humanoid form, and brings out a prismatic-looking crystal that has soaring notes running through Gail’s mind. “Still want to see her Profile?”

“What is that?”

“An Anar version of an imprint stone,” answers Sarah. Waving it in Gail’s direction has my little one wanting to play with the beautiful shiny. “It can do a lot more than the primitive ones we’re used to; pity we’re limited in the functionality we can access.”

“As much as I want to trust you, I still have to ask. Where did you get it?”

“Oh, that’s easy. I told my son from my last life here that I needed to borrow it; he almost died from shock at seeing me. Meeting up with him was the reason it took a bit to get here. Anyway, he said he’d be along to say hello and pick up Morgana as soon as they’ve completed the conclave.”

Farhad gives a nod, and I let Gail touch the shiny crystal when Sarah holds it close. The imprint doesn’t get stored within the crystal, but ‌shines in all our minds.

“Powers of Resonance, and Protean, no skills, but what’s Polyglot under languages?” I ask, not having heard of that language.

At my question, Sarah looks distracted, but quickly nods.

“All Anar were like that. They didn’t need to learn languages, they could understand and communicate in whatever language they wanted. Helps when you know what underlays everything,” replies Sarah, and stores the crystal back away. “Bright little thing; no wonder her mind is so sharp with Intelligence already at thirty, smart-arse Anar. Tongues, or True Speech, lets a Celestial speak in another creature's native tongue only, Polyglot has no such restriction.”

“She’s physically normal though,” Farhad notes.

“Well, she is a baby; having physical stats above one is a bit of a stretch,” replies Sarah. “Charisma of thirty, dad will have trouble saying no.”

Elleth gives me a nod. “Someone already wraps him around her little finger.”

“At least her Willpower is only fourteen; I stand a chance,” objects Farhad. Moving closer, he brushes Gail’s cheek with the same apparent wonder that I’ve seen repeatedly when he lets down his guard.

His tone prompts Elleth and Sarah to exchange smug glances, but I keep carefully neutral.

“He’s doomed,” pronounces Sarah. “Fourteen and she’s days old; she needs to train that, but that process ‌makes teenagers so much fun.”