Chapter Thirteen

What Am I? (Part Three) With An Emergency Pause

The room had a ping sound of an incoming communication from the captain. “Sorry to interrupted, but we could use a little help for the incoming scout ship. Sky could you come up with a cloaking spell and some decoy spell that will foul a mage who can see communication transmissions. There being followed and need something to draw them off, of their pursuit.” Fred asked hopefully.

Sky answered Captain Fred. “Yes, Fred Sir, just give me a second to look into it.” Sky looked up from the biscuit just going into her mouth. She pushes her awareness into space and followed Fred’s transmission to the scout ship and found another ship following it. There were strange tendrils of magic snaking their way out from the ship into space all around; she guessed these were the feelers the mage used. They reached around the scout ship and almost to Little Tooth now she knew what to look for. The tendrils touching the ship were trying to penetrate the new bubble with no progress but still could feel the ships bubble and follow it. Sky with little thought came up with the solution. Captain Fred Sir. I just gave Conny the solutions, and she will convey them to the other ships A.I. I’ll send out the decoys myself if you don’t mind. The spells a little complex on top of that, they must be inverted. The mage on the rogue ship is using a strange kind of magic I’ve never heard of before. It may be because I’m new to Magic, but I think I see how it works. After I send the decoy, he is going to have a surprise when he catches up to it. Nothing fatal but he will need some serious headache medication.” Sky said with a chuckle; then she turned serious. “That wasn’t the mages’ gift it was stolen from another magic user. I can think of ways a gift can be stolen, and none of them are pleasant, and none of them would leave the mage alive. Someone died to give that mage the gift he has. I’ll make sure he’ll never use that gift again once he caught up to the decoy and wished he never had it.”

Sky turned to her father. “Sorry daddy I’ve got to do something to ensure our new crew's safety and stop a very dangerous gift in the wrong hands.” Sky stood up and looking off into space through the bulkhead. She held up her palm and stood without moving for a few seconds. When she lowered her hand with a tiny grin saying “that should hide the ship and soon I’ll take care of that murderous mage. Okay, I’m ready for something a little more upbeat. Daddy could you possibly keep it short; I think something bad might happen sooner than later.” Sky was still interested in the story her daddy was telling but was a little distracted at what just happened. She just gave a weak grin and took a sip of tea.

Fred was thinking of asking what she was going to do. He realized something she did defy all logic when it came to conventional magic. A lot of what she does goes over his head. “Make your decoy when you feel the time is right. I’ll let their leader Todd know that a decoy will be appearing shortly and a new shield will be added to the array.”

Sky forced a smile. “They’ll know when it is happening, tell them to relax and breathe deeply after it starts telling them there is nothing wrong with their vision or even what they’re going to feel. Warn them they might feel a tiny bit of vertigo when it happens. Oh, and tell them sorry.”

Fred re-established the link with the scout ship. “My AI is going to give you a new shield spell, and our troubleshooter is going to make a decoy. She told me to brace yourselves and not to panic, and you might see and feel something odd. You will probably feel like retching when it happens.” Fred said giving them a weak smile.

Jane called out new shield is going to take effect in five, four.” Her words were choked off as the whole ship started to split into two. She could feel something pull at her skin. Looking back at the rest of to crew she seen a copy of them pull away as a ghost image of the entire ship went off in a different direction. As it completely separated it became solid. Jane scanned the new scout ship and found that four mages manned it just like them. “It’s us in the same scout ship as ours how is that possible. For all the light in stars what just happened.” Jane said as vertigo hit her and she followed suit as everyone retched on to the deck. In a flash as their stomach contents hit the floor, it was gone.

Todd was the first one to regain his equilibrium and haled Little Tooth. “Captain Fred Sir, what just happened to us and our ship, there are two of us now”?

Before Todd could ask another question, Fred interrupted him. “That was the decoy our troubleshooter made. It’s a nasty surprise for the mage that was instrumental in following you; I was reassured he would not use or be able to use that gift again. She also said sorry for your discomfort in the spells execution. Don’t bother asking how and why you never felt any magic used let’s say it was magic and leave it at that till you get here. I’m sure she will tell you over tea if you wish to know. For now, save your questions and only do a visual check on the spacecraft that was following you. Make your coarse adjustment to come directly for us. I’m sure you’re A.I. will know the way. For now, let’s leave the com open and muted until there are any changes. You and your crew did well so far, keep up the good work.” The vid was cut and the sound muted. Fred looked to Joe “Man that must have been tuff having a clone split from you like that from your own body. I’m surprised Todd didn’t take long to recover from vertigo if it was like anything I felt. He briefly wondered who cleaned up the messes they would have made. Might it have been automated maybe? Fred said checking if Joe had any insight.

Joe shook his head. It was Sky’s doing I bet she did something knowing it would possibly make them sick. She probably did it for future relationships to start better than just a simple sorry.”

Todd back on the scout ship could catch snippets of the conversation even after the mute was in place. The whole crew knew now it was the young girl, Sky who was the special new crew member and their troubleshooter. The fact she was so considerate to clean up their messes so far away was incredible. The magic she must hold had to be astounding to make such a spell so far away. She seemed a little too perfect and was probably a snob in person or something similar.

Okay, let’s recap all we know of the new captain and crew. Fred is captain, Joe is second in command, and Sky is an ensign the youngest on their crew. Then her parents are the cooks and cleaners. Now there is something about an enhanced AI able to do magic. Fred seems to be a good guy, and Joe seems to be a straight shooter. Um, the cooks are, let’s see, William and Rocssanna. Who are great cooks from what Fred says and by the looks of him he knows good food? I even think he taught our martial arts instructor back in basic training camp.” Todd looked at his crew he spent the last seven years keeping together the best he could. Jane was the only one who missed some time because of a spell gone bad. It took her a while to get readjusted to her altered body, a whole lot of convincing her she was still welcome, and part of their crew. This was going to be the first mission together since the change into tiny beings. After they were going to pool their earnings to find a mage to fix the incompetent spell, this was a tight group you would be well looked after if you fit in.

William waited for the brief interruption by Fred asking for a favour of Sky’s many talents. Within a few minutes, she was able to give him the solutions and turn her attention back to the unfinished story. “Are you finished now Angel, can I start again”? William took a sip of his tea and waited to continue the story.

“Yes, Daddy I’m finished for now. You should be able to finish the story and tell me why you left the planet and why you never taught me magic”? Sky said almost shaking to here the story.

William cleared his throat and started the story again.

” Two days after being micronized William and Rocssanna Knight had felt an odd sensation in their core, a type of pressure they’ve never experienced before as Titans. Not a pain or all that discomfiting really, it was just a growing pressure that was there. On one of their visits to a mages house who was helping them to adapt to being tiny. William mentioned the odd sensation to the mage, and Rocssanna said she felt it too. The mage said it sounded like a persons’ magic well filling for the first time. The three had a good laugh at that and the next couple of days no more was said about the subject. That was until they passed a magic user who could sense the size of magic well, the Arch-Mage. He called out to the Knights to come over to his office in the Great Hall of Magic.

The next day they found themselves in the office of the Arch-Mage. “I would like to introduce myself, I’m the Arch-Mage and I know you are William and Rocssanna Knight. You weren’t told the names of the mages who micronized you. But I’ll tell you I was the one guiding the magic and crafted the incantations that gave you your smaller forms. I called you here not to tell you that, but to tell you your bodies are producing magic. I can sense a magical well size, and yours are small, but they’re there. If you would like, you could be the first Titans ever to use magic”?

William looked to Rocssanna “What do you think Rocssy? Titan magic users. We could be the first Titans to control magic. It would certainly be different from being the one wielding magic and from knowing what all the talk is about. This great feeling of power that corrupts so many powerful magic users.”

Rocssanna just said “What could it hurt to see what it feels like to cast a spell or two? Maybe it could help cook and clean the house.”

Sky looked like she wanted to interrupt, but William held his hand up to stop her from interrupting the story

For the next week, William and Rocssanna were taught magic and were progressing slowly but mastered each small useful spell. Things were easy because they both had lightening affinity. Their teachers were amazed on how some of the difficult spells the Knights found super easy and basic spells were unattainable to grasp. They stopped teaching any difficult spells and incantations until they mastered the simple ones. Their progression almost slowed to a stop after the second week they could do only one more spell which was the more complex ones. The Arch-Mage called them in for an interview to see how they were adapting to their new size and the magic lessons.

The Knights were doing very good with their new size but not so good with the lessons. Halfway through the interview the Arch-Mage looked to Rocssanna “You’re holding quite a bit of magic you should use it a little bit more. It’s becoming a little too much for a new caster such as yourself. If you want, I could drain some off if you like”?

Sky again wanted to say something smiling getting caught up in the story. It helped her not dwell on the rogue mage’s murderous act. “Sky if you want this story told quickly you can’t ask questions in between. Wait till after if there are any unanswered questions then ask them. Before you eat them all again pass me a biscuit.” Sky had her one hand getting her daddy’s attention and the other in the box of biscuits. She was using Conny’s empty teacup to put the water she pulled out of the biscuits. It was half full, and to most people, they seemed just moist. Sheepishly she handed over six of the biscuits to each of her parents leaving her with three.

“I guess I should drink more tea and pace myself on the rest of the biscuits. I wish it were easy just to make more with magic. I tried to make food, but it wasn’t the same; they all tasted kind of like wax. Sorry for interrupting. I’m sure you’ll mention me soon.” Sky was smiling up to her daddy looking over a hot cup of tea.

William smile ruffled Sky’s hair, took a sip of tea and a biscuit. Then went straight into the story again.

Rocssanna looked at William. “But I use just as much magic as Willy, if not a few more spells a day. Why would I have that much more magic stored than Willy has?”

The Arch-Mage pondered the question. “I have no idea some people have magic wells that develop faster than others. Maybe you’re one of the lucky ones with faster-developing magic well. If you can’t use enough magic to bring it down, I will drain some of the magic off?”

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow then because I don’t know enough useful spells to cast in a day to drain away that much,” Rocssanna said on the way out of the office.

William was thinking about the magic they could use. “I bet if you change the light spell into a multiple light spell, so there’s a light every half metre or so for a few kilometres. I bet conjuring something like that a few times would use about half your stored magic. I could cast them just to see how many times we can make them before we run out of magic.”

“Okay, Willy. We could try that tonight, but we’ll do that in the mountains where nobody goes at night. That much light would be hard to sleep with. Anyway we could use a little romantic walk by ourselves occasionally.” Rocssy kissed Willy on the lips, gave him a big smile and cuddled close. “You’ll get more tonight under the glow of our mage light.” She said with a wink.

That night the couple went into the mountains and spent six hours draining their magic and having a little romantic stroll through the forested mountainside. On the way, back neither of them could cast a light any brighter than a small flame. They figured the magic would not build up too quickly overnight. The next day William and Rocssanna went to the Arch-Mages office to see about the magic Rocssanna held.

Rocssanna and William greeted the Arch-Mage. “Good morning Arch Mage I trust you had a good night sleep. Willy and I used up almost all of our magic last night, it took six hours, but we drained ourselves of every bit of magic we had.”

The Arch-Mage looked to William and then to Rocssanna, then he frowned. “I thought you drained all your magic last night it has increased.” The Arch-Mage stepped closer to Rocssanna. “Try and make a mage light will you please”?

Rocssanna shrugged her shoulders. She held up her palm and pushed out a mage light, and it was brighter than she would have thought possible. She tried a second one, and it was far dimmer than the first. “That’s all of it. I can’t do much more than maybe shock someone for a joke,” Rocssanna said giving William a grin in mirth.

The Arch-Mage looked closer to Rocssanna. “What they said is right you have a hidden well of magic. I’ve never heard of such a thing, but I see it right here in your abdomen. He waved his hand over Rocssanna’s midriff, and a faint spell circle appeared. He pulled back in surprise and did a double take. “There seems to be a parasite in your lower abdomen, and it’s holding a tremendous amount of magic. It seems to be,” His voice cut off midsentence as we all clued in on what it was.

William smiled to Sky who was wide-eyed. “It was you in your mommy’s belly eager to be born.” William then continued with the story Before Sky could ask anything.

Rocssanna and William both put their hands on Rocssy’s toned stomach but it was William who spoke first. “Honey you’re pregnant, and we’re going to have a magical baby. I wonder if it’s going to be a boy or a girl.”

Rocssanna squeezed William’s hand. “I bet you it’s going to be a girl, with long soft, beautiful hair. She is going to be super smart and tall for her age because she’ll be strong, stronger than us. She’s going to be the kindest and most loving girl ever. We’ll name her Sky because for her the sky is not the limit, but she’ll be the star of known space and beyond.”

Sky interrupted William. “Daddy did mommy say that; I don’t believe she would be so accurate. She left out cute and my blue hair and eyes.”

William chuckled along with Rocssanna. “No Sweetie she didn’t, that wants you to call a creative license. She did guess you were going to be a girl though and have a lot of magic.”

Rocssanna cut in. “I also said you were going to be a beautiful lady one day. We’re still hoping on that one; it might happen if the swelling of your head goes down along with your conceded brain.” Rocssanna ribbed her daughter.

Sky just blushed and said. “You told me I was cute many times.” She didn’t say any more but made a humph sound. William continued his story with a smile.

The Arch-Mage peered closer into Rocssanna’s womb. “I think you’re at least right about one thing, for now, she is going to be a girl, and Williams is going to be right about the magical baby.” He stood back from the now glowing couple. “I will have to drain off the magic for sure now as a developing fetus there is no way of any magical release through spells or incantations. I’ll have to think of a way to link with the child and see about drawing off some of the magic to safer levels. Let me think about this for today and come back tomorrow to see what I come up with.” The Arch-Mage stroked his chin in the concentration of the problem. Usually, you asked for a mages permission to take magic, this would have to be done forcefully without the consent of the child to be.

Rocssanna had a thought. “How could you tell it’s going to be a baby girl if I’m only pregnant a week and a half, tops? As a Titan, our gestation period is on average up to eleven years. We trying just before the war and stopped and just started again two weeks ago; it takes a few days to become fertile again. I believe in this tiny body she would be just a speck. What kind of magic let you tell from that”? Something clicked in Rocssanna’s head and maybe Williams if his face was any indication.

The Arch-Mage looked at Rocssanna without any enhanced sight and was surprised to see a faint glow of magic coming from the fetus. “I used no special spell for seeing the unborn child she’s about the size of my thumb and is quite developed by what I can see.” He said seeing the couple heads nodding to each other.

Rocssanna turned from William and to the Arch-Mage. “I believe I was pregnant during the war. Titan women can start and stop their menstrual cycle at will, and I stopped my cycle when the war began. Unknown to me it would have stopped on its own, so for five years, I was with child. But how will the micronization affect the baby and why does she hold so much magic”? Rocssanna said stroking her stomach.

“You ask some very good questions, but I have no answers yet. Tomorrow I’ll have some answers, and I must drain the magic from the child. But for now, you should put something on to hide the magic coming from the baby. I’ll enchant some of your clothes to hide the magic coming from your unborn daughter.”

Rocssanna took off her overcoat so it could be enchanted. While she waited, she reached for her child as all Titan parents can sense their children even unborn. This being her first child she didn’t know what to expect. She could feel something but, it was not sure if it was as it should have been. Being cut off from other Titans, she had no one to ask for guidance. Rocssanna tried to feel what she could make out; it was as if there were many voices in a strange language or chatter. Faintly she could feel a cooing sound amongst the chattering. It was her child’s essence that she could not reach through all the strange noise. Her child seemed content with the sounds of chatter and cooed away as if happy.

Soon with the enchanted overcoat hiding the baby’s magic, the Arch-Mage promised to tell them why he was hiding their magical unborn child and to find out how all the magic was possible. “Go home, sleep, and plan how you’re to raise your daughter who’s going to have magic.

Rocssanna and William looked at each other with a whole lot more to plan. Rocssanna is pregnant with a magical baby girl. The girl will be the first Titan born with magic in her. Rocssanna asked the Arch-Mage what she should expect to happen with a magical child. “As a Titan, we never have children with magic, so this is new for anyone of our race?” The archmage pondered over the question not knowing quite what say. “I have never heard of a child being born with the magic she will hold. I think when she gets older maybe four or five years old she will need training in magic. She will be the strongest mage or sorceress ever. She will be as a new breed of Titan, a magical one. Most children with a few exceptions have to build up magic as they get older to work a spell. I have no idea what will happen with a child just born with magic flowing through her with no need to build up without practice. It would be like a baby playing with a laser gun. She may never hit the trigger but if she does where will it be pointing. The magic she holds even now, unborn is astounding. The figurative laser will not be a small one; the damage could be devastating. “Rocssanna and William were now more than a little scared of what could happen. “Are there any steps of precaution we can take? Is there some way of limiting the magical build up in her”? William was not thinking of himself, but his wife and child’s safety. Rocssanna thought we have about five years to plan this out and find our best options. The archmage didn’t know all the answers just then, but he would find them shortly. The one thing he knew; she couldn’t stay on this planet. If it were not for his curiosity, he would send them away within the week. He might even leave the planet with them in the last years of pregnancy. “I’ll find out within a year or two which planets would be best to raise her on. I would also be so bold to offer to teach her magic when she’s at the age of comprehension. She will need magical guidance as soon as she starts learning to speak.”

Little did they know how much the micronization would affect Rocssanna’s body and her pregnancy? Four months after finding out she was pregnant Rocssanna looked about to give birth as a Titan they never got swollen like a human, just a pot belly. Rocssanna looked like a four-month pregnant human. Rocssanna told her worries to her husband. “I think I’m going to have a baby like a human, all big and swollen. Plus, I don’t think we even one year to plan now. My guess is five months before delivery. We’ve got no way of knowing for sure.” William looked at his beautiful wife’s belly are you sure it’s not just gas”? The look he got could turn the whole cow sour. “Okay no time for jokes, I’ll see about a mage doctor. Only magic can see through our new body structure. I’ll ask the archmage who is helping you lower the baby’s magic.” Rocssanna got a surprised look on her face then a smile “Don’t worry about looking for him I’m going tomorrow to his house to drain some magic and see if he can teach me to link with the baby too. We can discuss the possible new timeline and about a mage doctor to look at the baby’s progress. William, are you going to love me still when I’m big like a pregnant human they look so different when with a child.” William went to Rocssanna, stood behind her and cupped the gentle swell of her belly “I will always love you no matter how big you get, one year, or five years that will never change.”

The next day couldn’t come fast enough for Rocssanna to start the training and to ask about the baby. Rocssanna approached the arch mage’s house; it was huge and imposing. She knocked on the door, and a young woman answered the door. “Hi, you must be Rocssanna. Father told me about you and your pregnancy.” Rocssanna was a little upset the mage told someone else about the baby. The woman was pretty with a slim figure; she wore a mage style robe. Her smile was very calming, and Rocssanna felt at ease. “My name is Sandra; the archmage is my father. He told me to give you an examination if you want me to. You see I’m a first-class medical mage, I specialize in obstetrician and female medical care. My father trusts me enough to tell me about your baby, and you can trust me too. Rocssanna looked to Sandra held out her hand to her in greeting and new friendship.

“I don’t know all that he told you, but I would like you to see how far along I am. You see I never knew I was pregnant till four months ago.”

Sandra looked puzzled at that. “How could you not know you were pregnant after missing your cycle for four months? I could see two months but not four.”

Rocssanna was upset about that statement. “I could understand if I was human, but my race can control their menstrual cycle. “I’m sorry I was a bit concerned with the mage war. So, don’t blame me for not checking while I was on the front line of defence.” As Rocssanna wanted she had a tickle sensation at the back of her head. Oh, no I said too much, now she’ll know something’s up.

“Rocssanna is there something you’re not telling me? My father said you were different, but he never said how. You’ll see it was all he said after that. So, will you tell me or will I find out during the examination.”

“Let’s make it a surprise when you start the tests. We can see how long it takes for you to find out my secrets.” Rocssanna said as a simple reply.

Sandra led Rocssanna into the house. The front hall was huge and sparsely decorated, making it seem even bigger. Sandra pointed out a few rooms to be polite but made it known it was not a guided tour. Down the left hall was a complete doctor’s examination room. The room had an examination table, a big desk, and filing cabinets. She could see through a door a comfy looking chair with stirrups. Sandra walked over to a closet and pulled out a smock for Rocssanna to wear. “Mrs. Knight, you can change in that room behind the screen in the room with the gynecological chair. After you change, take a seat, and I’ll be right with you.”

Rocssanna got undressed, and before putting on the smock, she could swear her belly was bigger now than it was that morning. As she climbed into the chair, the material shifted to conform to her weight she sat on it. It was super comfy if not for the stirrups. Sandra came into the room shortly after she was seated. “Are you comfortable Rocssanna, I could have the chair heat up or cool down if you wish"? "No, I'm quite relaxed. It’s a wonderful chair.” Rocssanna snuggled a bit deeper into the cushions. "First I would like to take your pulse and check your breathing.” Sandra took Rocssanna's arm in hand and was stunned at what little give to her skin. It was smooth to the touch and felt like a polished marble with a very slight give on the surface.

"You're not human are you Rocssanna? May I ask what race you are"? "No Sandra, I'm not human my husband, and I are Titans. Your father and eleven other mages micronized us so we could blend into human society. As far as I know, we are the last of our race in known space. As for not knowing I was with a child just before the mage war I was trying to conceive When the war started I stopped my cycle not knowing was with child. You may not know, but Titans can have a gestation period for up to twelve years and look no more pregnant than I do now. For a pregnant Titan, I'm huge.” Sandra looked at Rocssanna wondering how much this woman was exaggerating her condition. "I take it this is going to be your first child.” Sandra tried to knead Rocssanna’s belly; her belly had no given to her prodding fingers. "I can see why my father asked no one else to look at you but me. Not only to keep this secret, but you hold a tremendous amount of magic. I can feel it almost pouring out of you. You shouldn't hold so much at hand. It's a wonder why I didn't feel it when we first met. I've never seen someone hold some much magic before; I thought Titans could carry no magic.” Rocssanna gave her head a shake. "It's not my magic; it's the baby's magic you feel. As for sending it, when we met the underclothing I was wearing hides the magic the baby radiates. Today the day your father links with the baby and draws off most of the magic. He’s also going to try and teach me how to do it too. It’s becoming more frequently I’m going to your father to get the magic drained. It seems to take less time for her to build up the magic after. I want to know if the baby’s development has something to do with the excessive creation of magic.”

“I’m not sure just yet, but all probing must be done magically because nothing else can get through your dense skin and tissue.” Sandra got out a piece of chalk to draw runes and symbols on and around the bump of Rocssanna stomach as the drawing progressed she started to speak some incantations. With every rune circle, more of the baby was revealed, when she was done, you could see the developing child as if on a vid. Rocssanna was so surprised she hesitantly tried to touch the baby, but encountered her invisible abdomen. “That is amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it. So, what can you tell by looking at the baby like this”?

“Oh, this is the first part of the spells, and I can tell you are about five months along by human standards. The next spell will tell me how much magic she holds and of she already has a magic affinity and to what element. With magic this strong it wouldn’t surprise me if she already has an affinity for one of the elements .” Sandra pulled out a large tablet and issued a command to bring up the appropriate incantation. She then held the tablet over the developing girl and said the words to start the spell. A spell circle appeared just around the baby. The baby’s body changed colours to a dark blue almost black with white specks in it. Sandra’s hand started shaking and almost dropped the tablet. “This is impossible only the highest grand archmages and a few sorceresses can hold that much magic. It would take them up to a year to reach that level of magic in their system.” Sandra had to sit down leaving Rocssanna baffled to see what Sandra found so disturbing. “Should we get your father if there is any problem? Both of you should be able to solve anything right”? Sandra looked to Rocssanna still rattled. “Yes, yes we should call him in to see about draining the baby’s magic for the elemental test. The amount of magic she holds could be disastrous to try it now.” It was almost as if by magic the arch mage knocked on the door to make sure everyone was decently garbed. The archmage opened the door and walked in seeing Rocssanna, her baby, and his daughter. He noticed Sandra looked shaken and wondered why. “Are you alright honey? What got you all upset”?

“You never told me about the magical child or the power she possesses. That unborn child holds more magic than you, and I combined. The problem is there is nowhere for the magic to go.”

“Calm down, that is why I’m here, to syphon off some of the magic, Rocssanna and I have been working together for four months. What troubles me that our visits together are getting more frequent? That’s why I wanted you to look at the child. Did you see anything so far that would hint at how she can generate magical energy so quickly”? The archmage asked his daughter.

“Not yet father, I’m still in shock of finding out all the secrets you’ve been keeping from everyone. It’s like your hiding sheep amongst wolves. Well not sheep, but if they find out about the magical child, they will all fight for her. We know how destructive a magic fight can be, or how subtle the underhanded ways they used could be just as bad. How long do you think you can keep this from the mage world”?

The arch Mage stroked his chin in thought; Sandra eyes bugged out and snatched his hand from his chin and glared at him. Such a stereotypical gesture bugged her to her core. If he had a beard, she would have screamed out loud. The archmage knew just how to distract his daughter and get her to think of less troublesome things. “I know we have limited time; the baby’s developing at a human rate. How long do you think before she starts to show”?

Sandra looked to Rocssanna and turned to her father. “A month tops if she can wear baggier clothes and walk around more so the swelling doesn’t seem to pop up like infrequent visits seem to.”

“I don’t think that’s going to be possible. We should send you off planet to some remote star-system. I have one in mind, it would be perfect for you, but not good for us if we were planning to join you. There is little or no occurring natural magic, and the gravity is twelve times that of earth scale. Then there is the problem of the child’s magic after they leave with no-one to draw off the massive build-up. I came up with an idea, by trying to use two stones that are linked, one takes, and the other gives. I made them for sharing the magic with mages on missions where there is little magic. We can use them to draw off the magic with one the blue gemstone, and we can use the magic here with the red gemstone. At least until she can control her magic, safely”!

The archmage looked to Rocssanna remembering it was rude of them to talk as if she wasn’t there. He saw her preoccupied staring at the wonder of life growing within her body. She heard most of what was said and was paying attention for any ill intentions towards herself and her family. Sandra was also paying attention to Rocssanna while her father was going through his thoughts on what to do. Sandra responded to Rocssanna as much as her father. “That sounds good and the wisest course of action. Providing the Knights agree to go along with your plan.”

Rocssanna noticed Sandra talking to her as well as her father. Before answering she lessened to the second voice the one only she heard. “What kind of gemstones are you planning on using? I thought you were going to teach me to link with her and drain the magic myself”? The archmage not wanting to come across too harsh, at the same time he did not want to coddle her! “You don’t have enough time to learn, and you don’t have the talent for magic. You might be able to link with your daughter, but you don’t have the talent to hold or to use that much magic. I, an archmage, have to use it to make talismans or tomes almost right away before I’m even overflow to bursting.” He then reached inside his wizard’s robes and pulled out two small gemstones, one red, and one blue. He put the blue gemstone on the desk next to Rocssanna. “That one is to keep your daughters’ magic low and at a safe level.” Rocssanna took the blue gemstone he placed on the desk. “Rocssanna we are going to link the blue gemstone with your daughter which will keep her magic at a safer level. This red gemstone will take the magic and hold it till the magic is used. The red gems were also called philosopher stones with a near infinite magic capacity, and they are very rare. So, we don’t need to use the magic immediately.”

Rocssanna was quiet for a few moments and then responded. “How much time do we have before we have to leave? Can you still teach us some more magic, at least the theories of it? We may need to teach our daughter the basics of magic .”

The archmage looked to Rocssanna and shook his head. “For the love of all, that’s good do not try and teach her magic. Your skills are too poor to teach any magic. If you were to teach your daughter, it would be like someone who bathed in a tub, teach a person how to deep water dive. You haven’t even touched the surface of the kind of magic she’ll have, no-one has really. We haven’t even found her elemental affinity. Let's find out but after we drain her to at least one-tenth, or more of her magic so it will be more controllable, because the amount of magic the developing girl has, it could be disastrous.” Sandra looked to Rocssanna and gave her a smile and a wink “We were just about to call you when you came in on your own. I have the spells to test her elemental alignment ready for when you drain her magic.” Sandra said pointing to her tablet with the first test ready to be cast.

“Rocssanna place the gemstone on your belly just over the child and pull your hand back. I’ll link the gemstone with the baby and start the magical drain. It shouldn’t take too long to transfer the magical energy, the gemstones links are very strong, and that little trick was a long and difficult process. You’ll be able to tell the transfer complete by stone’s light will stop pulsing and become a solid glow.” They all watched as the blue gemstone glowed slightly and the red one started to pulse in the archmages open hand. Ten minutes later he set the gemstone down on the desk and took a seat along with his daughter to continue to watch. Rocssanna wasn’t paying attention to the gemstones but was looking on in amazement at the child within her. She did not see the look of shock and astonishment at the length of time it was taking. This process should have been very fast, at least five times faster than draw the energy into me then straight into talismans. Almost one hour later his curiosity got to him, and he checked the growing child’s magic level, it was almost down three quarters still two times more than most mages could hold in a year. The magic was not going down very fast; it was as if more was replacing as it, just slightly slower rate. "We need to do the affinity test the way she is. Draining the magic is going to take too long, she’s creating more almost as fast as its being taken. Sandra uses the smallest test spell as possible; maybe we can control it somehow on our end”? “Father I don’t think it will help much, I’ll have to drop the spell if there is a reaction. I’m sure if I cut the magic to the spell fast enough it can’t get too far out of control if it does go out of control.”

The archmage asked Rocssanna if she was ready to nullify the spell if it gets out of hand possibly. To this, she nodded for his daughter to begin the first incantation. Sandra started with water first. With the tablet in one hand, she said a spell and water was floating about her hand. The water moved in a counter-clockwise motion and then held the water over the baby. She looked like she was oblivious to all around her just floating in her mother. As the floating water drew closer to the still-developing child turned her head as if look to the water. The water slowed and stopped moving. “Okay water is her elemental affinity, and it will get stronger as she gets older.” Sandra was happy; the first one was her elemental alignment too.

The Arch-Mage looked to his daughter “Well what about the other elements; there are three others? I have two alignments so why would you not try the others on her.”

Sandra sighed in recitation. She started another incantation, wind. Dust swirled around in her palm, again in counter-clockwise motion. As she brought the hand closer to the baby the wind causing the dust to swirl stopped and started swirling in a clockwise motion. The baby’s head was still facing them as the tests went on. Sandra was shocked “That two elements for mages it’s very rare to have. Rocssanna you are going to have a very gifted child who will be sought after.”

The archmage interrupted her again. "Dear there are two more tests yet to complete do you not think it's strange she passed the first two you picked? I think she’s going to have not just the four but the lightening as well. Try earth next, and I’ll help with the other two after so it should be safer.” The Arch-Mage said. Sandra looked to her father with a shocked look on her face. Rocssanna knowing nothing of the workings of magic till three weeks ago, kept silent.

“I hope you’re wrong in this; no one should have the power she would have if that’s true. Even with just the two and the magic she holds as a novice mage, she would press a strong archmage in a duel of magic .” Sandra brought up the next spell to test for earth a small, simple stone rotating this time in a clockwise motion. The baby still facing them caused the rock to move in a counter-clockwise without coming to a stop. Sandra looked a little paler after the test; she had tried to make too hard. I hope my father isn’t right; she already holds three of the possible five. “Okay, father fires next do what you have to make it safer for us.” He waved his hand over his pocket tablet, and there was a tingling sensation in her body, she could see Rocssanna respond to something happening to her also. The archmage nodded his head. “Ready when you are dear just try and keep the flames as small as possible.” The Arch-Mage gave his daughter a chiding look as if to say ‘I don’t approve.‘ “I like the counterclockwise twist with the magic. It gives you a good idea when there is an interaction from the person you’re testing.” Sandra knew her slight variation to the test was not procedure and not to try it again. She gave her father an acknowledging nod and continued. Sandra tapped her tablet, and the flame she was using for the test sprung to life in the palm of her hand. With a wave of her hand, it shrank down and swirled around in a counter-clockwise motion. It was a small red and orange flame she held it lowering to the baby. Her hand was a little shaky and more so as it drew closer to the unborn child. Flames were the most common to go out of control. The flame just fluttered at first, then started to change colour. She was supposed to drop the spell at first sign of interaction, but she had to see what happened next. The flame turned blue, a pure sky blue and the flame stopped swirling. It flared up slightly and danced around her palm like a small child would entertain herself. “Sandra, drop the spell I can feel it is probing the wards around us, it could go out of control. It can turn into a wildfire and break my wards with ease. I can feel her magic swelling as you are testing her for her elements. Sandra cut the magic to the test flame, and it flares slightly before going out. She’s got four of the possible five. The last test is for the lighting element if she passes that test; it means she gifted in the lighting element. Lighting is the only element that can be taught to anyone possessing one of the four elements.” The archmage said the last part directed to Rocssanna to keep her informed on what was happening during the test. “The last test is the most dangerous because the baby’s’ has no real intelligence yet she’s just going on instincts. We keep things simple children to understand the tests. This test is unprecedented; no other unborn child was ever tested. The normal age for the test is three to four. We’re hoping your child had an awareness of what to do with the movement. Sensing an element, you’re aligned to react if you reach for it. You can interact with it with little effort because it’s part of your mental and physical make-up. The last test is lightning or electrical energy, so Sandra could you start the last test”? Sandra was a little hesitant about starting the last test. She had no idea what could or would happen if she passed the last test. It would mean the child would be the most powerful persona live at her birth. What would they do? How would they protect the small family from the hidden evils of human nature? Thinking about the ever power-hungry mages who would stop at nothing to corrupt the little girl and her parents. Sandra secretly hoped she would at least fail the next test. She has enough magic already; she doesn’t need another. Sandra began. “I’ll start the next test and try to keep it small.” With that said she started the next test with a hesitant flourish of her hand over her tablet, starting the spell. As she spoke the last part of the spell arks of white lighting jumped around her fingering a five-point star. Her hand was a little shaky as she brought her hand down to the baby. Nothing happened, the baby was still facing up but showed no reaction. “I don’t feel any change or new magic coming from the child. I can only feel the magic pressure from the red stone and the baby’s usual magical pressure. I’m going to stop the test; I guess she doesn’t have that one gift.” Sandra was stopping the test when the arcs of lighting started to change colour. The colour change went unnoticed by the three present. Sandra signed in relief; she did not want to see what her father would have done had the baby pass the test. The Arch-Mage did not seem happy more upset. He seemed resigned to the fact the child failed the last test. Rocssanna did not care either way not understanding what all the magic meant. The baby slowly turned her head back to her prior fetal position. Rocssanna seen a look on the baby’s face was it a smile or smirk. Sandra and her father were discussing how to conceal the baby’s magic until she was born. The archmage looked over to humour you and did a double take. “That is a smirk on her lips. I can’t believe an infant yet to be born can smirk. She has to understand some of what we’re saying and doing to get a smirk like that.” Sandra had a shocked look on her face as she looked on at the child.” I can’t believe she’s smirking, I mean actually, smirking, oh my magic stars that is a smirk .” Rocssanna was shocked at the surprise the two mages made from a simple smirk. “What’s the big deal about a simple smirk? It’s not like she’s, she is laughing, my baby is laughing, I can feel her jiggle inside me, is that even possible for an unborn child to laugh? I’ve never heard of anything like that before, is it a common occurrence, maybe she’s exercising her lungs or something?” “No Rocssanna, somehow your child is aware and learning we don’t know how much she understands, but she does understand most of what we say. She has no experience outside your womb to get a full grasp of what to make of it. Your child will be gifted in more ways than just magic. I hope everything goes well for your family after she’s born.” The Arch-Mage said with true concern on his face. Sandra was reeling at the implications of what was yet to come. “Well, we have to dispel the magic on your belly, so you don’t have to walk around with your baby showing.” Sandra grabbed a box of wet wipes and started to wipe the invisible runes off Rocssanna’s belly. Once some of the runes were cleaned off the invisible spell broke, and the baby slowly began fade from sight. Rocssanna waved to her baby as the fades from sight, unseen the tiny girl hand open and closes.

The Arch-Mage left the room so Rocssanna could get dressed and call William over to the Arch-Mages house. It only takes an hour for William to get to the huge house. Sandra let William into her father’s house. She leads him into the lounge where her father and Rocssanna were waiting and having a light discussion on the place of relocation. Upon Williams’s arrival, Rocssanna gets up and goes to Willy a hug and kiss. “Hi, honey we have so much to tell you about our child and her gifts of magic she’s going to be the strongest sorceress ever. Her” … The Arch-Mage stopped her midsentence. “We have much to discuss, but we have to do so in the way William will get the big picture.” The Arch-Mage waved for Williams and Rocssanna to have a seat on a comfy blue couch before taking a seat across from him. "We found out a lot about your child even before she is born. She has powerful magic which most mages and sorceresses would covet for themselves. She also has an affinity for all four elements water, earth, wind, and fire. Having two of the elements is very rare, only two has ever had three, and no one has ever until now had all four. She will be a force of nature like no other, and that is with no training. She is showing a sign of awareness of the world outside the womb. She has a sense of humour and can smirk, smile, and laugh. She’s going to be very special, very unique, and very powerful. Her intellect might be off the chart, and we don’t know what kind of disposition your daughter will have thought. What type of person is she going to be, kind and sweet, mean and better, or arrogant and condescending “?

William pondered the questions and the news about his daughter. He was expecting that his daughter was health and maybe born a whole lot sooner with a little more magic than they had. What he didn’t expect was that she could be the next greatest mage. He knew the Arch-Mage was worried about his daughter being a hero, villain, or even something else. “There is no way of knowing how she will turn out, she will be what she’ll be. All my loving and caring wife and I can do are raising her best we can with love and care we both possess. I think that’s all we can do for her, is it not”? William spoke with the pride of a father to be, with Rocssanna nodding in agreement.

“There is a problem with your idea of raising your daughter the way you two want. You forget about the environment in which where you raise your daughter has an impact on how she grows up. Who you and your daughter meet also makes a huge difference in her personality and disposition. I’m afraid you won’t be able to raise her here on this planet, there is too much corruption of magic. Here you and your family will almost certainly be corrupt as well. We discussed this before when we thought we had more time, but I’m afraid we are out of time we have to make plans for the next week or so to get to the new planet of the child’s birth.” The child was going to be a force of change in the magic world if she was found with her special gifts. She would present a possibility of study for enhancing and developing elemental gifts in those with one elemental gift. “I’ve found a planet halfway across the galaxy a two-month trip which is not a problem. The problem is the planet has next to no magic, and on top of that, it is a high g-force planet. If you end up on that planet myself nor my daughter can visit you anytime soon if ever. As for the most likely planet, it’s the safest one for you because most mages need a lot of magic to maintain the strength spell to compensate for the extreme gee-force. With next too no magic in the environment, they would have to rely on their magic they stored. Not many mages can hold that much magic to allow them to stay over one week without casting other spells. So, I don’t think you’ll get any visitors from off the planet for a long time.”

William and Rocssanna were wondering about their baby developing inside Rocssanna’s body. Rocssanna asks the archmage “Won’t the high gravity harm the baby if it’s going to be too strong for most mages.” The Arch-Mage chuckled at the question then realized they were serious. “No, no, your child will be fine in fact once she is born shill be better off than you two. The fact she has Io much power I think she’ll do well at any gravity level. So, you two should go home make plans on leaving but tell no one yet till the day you leave. We don't need anyone asking questions about why you're leaving so soon after getting here and learning a bit of magic. They might even notice the slight bulge in Rocssanna’s abdomen and wonder how you had become pregnant and showing so quickly. “We have to get you on your way before you start to show more and draw attention to yourself Rocssanna. They’ll want to study you and will find any way possible to keep you for studying. When they find, your child filled with magic and has all four gifts they will do almost anything to keep you there. Your life will change more than ever and not for the best and no all that unenjoyable. Go now, and we’ll see you in the morning.”

William and Rocssanna left with a new adventure coming in their near future. It was getting dark, so William used his limited magic and cast a simple light spell. It created just enough light to see by in the moonless night it was a long walk for most humans, but Rocssanna and William only looked human. The two micronized Titans could run faster than any car and most jet powered aircraft and jump over city blocks; gravity never affected them even after being shrunk down. They made it home in rerecord time to see their neighbours outside their front door. Mrs. Perchmont addressed Rocssanna “Dear you’re looking quite, hmmm, I don’t know how to put it, radiant and you have a certain glow to your face. My dear husband Stanley and I were wondering if congratulations are in order. I think your either pregnant or gained control over the magic you’ve been building up. I sensed the magic one day then nothing during the day most of this time. At night, I could sense your magic almost like a bright light in the dark. When I come over the magic is gone just as if you’re hiding it with special clothing. Titans have no magic in general so after you were micronized you smaller bodies developed some magic in some way we are yet to discover. But the spikes of magic you hold are even beyond most mages and sorceresses on this planet, and that is saying something. To be truthful, it’s more than my husband, and I can hold, together.” Rocssanna interrupted Mrs. Perchmont before she could continue her rant. “I’m sorry Mavis my loving husband William and I haven’t had dinner yet, and we have a long night ahead of us of trying variations of simple spells. We still must plan our future as tiny people. We still must get used to being tiny with super strength and speed. We’re not going to stay here forever; our part in your war is over. So, Mrs. Perchmont we’ll be seeing you tomorrow if you want, sometime in the afternoon?