Chapter THIRTY-FOUR: Trio-TALIA

...

Five months pass…

During this time, the earthquakes in the world had gradually strengthened. The land cricks as shallow faults decorate mostly the Mainland, but also isles.

Life still continued as usual in much of the world. The priests, priestesses, and druids of the world had been watchful of the changes and ordered to guard the temples a little longer than common each day...

..

After a rather uneventful week, in the warm cheer of an early summer morning, a striking butterfly flew in through the corridors of the Oracle's mystic castle. A portal appeared outside a door where the Sun Priest and his son waited.

As he was about to close the door, Aydan turned immediately sensed the portal and walked to the star-shaped marker as Talia emerged, grinning happily from her accomplishment. Dameon, too, saw his mother and followed his father towards her.

"Talia, you did wonderfully, my talented love!" Aydan said as he kissed and held her, content that she could deliver herself via a self-made portal, at last. "We are definitely ready to leave this castle. Wouldn't you agree, dear?"

"Oh, I'm so excited, dearest one! I could not have learned without all your help!" Talia said as they began to go down the dim corridor stairs. "I can't wait to see our new home today."

"My love, it is quite the walk. Are you sure you wouldn't like to teleport instead?"

"I'll be fine. I can rest when we get there...As long as our son does not run around like a feral chicken," Talia joked as she softly laughed and yawned at the same time.

Dameon was already walking ahead of them by several yards, looking back at them once in awhile, wanting them to catch up.

"We should have left him with Priestess Leana, Aydan. She would have been happy to watch him for us…" Talia went on, but then trailed off after looking up at Aydan.

Aydan remained silent knowing that Talia knew how he felt about leaving Dameon with the Moon Priestess. He had actually run into the priestess earlier. She had been looking for her sister and had wondered if he had seen her. He had thought of the busy day that lay ahead of them, but he didn't like either of the twins watching Dameon. Mostly, because Trin would be around the boy and what she might dare say or do to him was not worth the favor. But he also thought it was best not to ever trouble either of them as much as possible. Him and Talia could manage very well without anyone.

"My love…" Aydan finally spoke as Talia rested her head on his forearm, "It's a two hour walk to my father's manor. I think we should teleport there," he suddenly remembered how far exactly they were. After all, it had been many years since he had last made the walk without teleporting.

"Two hours, Aydan?! We will be far from everything!…But, well, okay then. Though, I don't want you to take us there all the way. I still want to it to be a trip," Talia insisted.

At once, Aydan teleported all them, making a few stops along the way to walk through the tree filled surroundings of the High Realm, opposite of the city of Vin'aneer. Talia clung happily on her lover's arm as they traveled further away from the castle.

Once on the last beautiful path, minutes from their home-to-be, they arrived close to the very edges of the High Realm. Talia beamed from excitement as she glanced at a white stone shaded manor that could have easily been confused as a druid's temple. Enormous trees and lush flowering meadows encircled much of the temple-like home. At a near distance, the suspended cloud prominence at the horizon, shone like fluffy bright-rose colored cotton from the post-dawn rising sunlight.

"...My love, I've planted the trees for you, since you mentioned how much you love the forest."

"Aydan, how sweet of you! You've made me the happiest woman alive!- Um, but how did you get the trees to grow so quickly?" Talia pondered as she picked up Dameon who almost shot away from her. She put him down right after and held the boy's hand firmly.

"It's all enchanted grounds, my love. Anything you plant will grow rapidly..." he answered, and suddenly had an idea.

Their eyes met. He lovingly smiled at Talia and surprised her as he picked her up to carry her the rest of the way.

"What-what are you doing, lover?!" Talia cry out.

"I'm carrying my beautiful beloved to our home," Aydan whispered to her.

Both chuckled softly as they reached the door. Dameon, feeling left out, began to whine, wanting to also be held. His father freed one hand and let him cling tightly, swinging him in as they stepped inside into a large common room.

"So, this is where my dear Sun Priest mostly grew up and where our son shall as well," Talia began as her feet touched the stone floor and began to inspect the place. "It's beautiful, my love. When can we move in?"

"I was thinking of perhaps...today! Unless you don't want to move, we can always…"

"Today is fine, since the day is just beginning," she said as she tried to hide a tired yawn. "It is so big for just the three of us. I mean, there are so many rooms here," Talia stopped from awe as she looked down the vast light filled hallways: one to the west and one to the east.

Aydan moved closer to her and embraced her again, wondering if he should tell her now his other plans for them. "...Tal, perhaps we will fill it with our kin-Over time, of course, my love," he said instead.

Talia smiled at him, but a worried and vexed look soon followed.

"Perhaps…But it will probably be a girl…and not of our own…" Talia sighed and the happy moment suddenly became a depressing one. "I-I should have made sure the demon was gone! I should have realized that he had been fully summoned! I was the sorcerer! It is all my fault!" Talia blamed herself and began to cry over again as she had for the last few months.

Aydan stroked her hair away from her teary face and lightly patted her back to comfort her.

"I am so happy that you offered to do that for my friends, Aydan. If only they would accept our help," Talia said hoping Devin and Alicia would come around soon. The latest news of the isles shaking had led her to reach the same conclusion: the Child would be best far away from Thais...and with them instead.

"My love, it will all be fine. Dameon may just have a little sister soon, so long as the oaf-hah-I mean, your friend, the king, doesn't think highly of himself much longer. I'm willing to put up with more bruises and hissy fits from him to ensure that our son has a peaceful world to live on in the future. The queen, however, I feel sorry for most of all...Should have asked her instead of that-that king."

Talia sighed again,"...I really did hope that you and Devin would have gotten along. But if he gives you any more bruises, I may just let the nightmares get to him!... I'm glad you would be okay about taking the Child," Talia finished. She smiled mischievously from her thoughts of benignly releasing nightmares to make a larger point. Both began to laugh over the idea, thinking the same.

Talia suddenly looked to see where her dear son had gone, and realized that he was running out the door into the meadow towards the edge of the realm.

"Aydan, our little brat! Dameon-COME BACK!-Drats! He's gone. It's no use, I'll go find him," Talia offered, but she yawned even louder this time.

"Tal, I will go fetch him. You should go rest, my love."

"But all the housework that must be done…"

"I can do all of it. Do not worry."

"And Dameon?-I knew we should have left him with Leana," Talia insisted again, but she knew he always made it a point to take care of them, even before she had a chance to do anything.

"My love, I will take care of the house, our son, and you. Come, I'll take you to our new chambers so you can rest," Aydan made his up mind and led her away in a hurry so he could find Dameon next.

"If you need anything, just call out."

"Okay, then, go get our son before he jumps off the realm-Go!" Talia said, but her hand wouldn't let his go. Aydan leaned forward to kiss her and left. She watched him go down the hall, and then turned to her new room.

Soft pleasant light danced through a large window, making half the room bright and the other half shadowy. Some of her belongings were already there, Talia noticed, as she went over to a large bookshelf against the wall that caught her interest. Beside the shelf was a narrow table with a man's portrait flat on the surface. She picked it up and looked at it closely. It was Aydan's father, she realized. They shared the same name, but hardly looked alike, she thought, as she wiped off dust from its surface. The picture itself must have been at least a thousand years old, but she could make out the late Sun Priest's face despite some fading. She had seen a different portrait of him at the castle; however, this one was painted better. In this portrait, the man had very long hair off to one side and a long beard that could reach his elbows. Though, amusingly, she could still see bits of her young son in his face.

Talia smiled as she put the image down, and turned to the bookshelf to read the titled bindings of the former priest's small library. She yawned as she kneeled on the floor to start from the bottom. It was quite the collection of spell and magic books, she immediately noticed. Most were ancient and rare, but well taken care of and perhaps priceless. The thrill of having them here with her was overwhelming and such a treasure.

Ignoring her sleepiness, once more, Talia pulled several books from their place and began eagerly paging through them.

After finding one with the title, "Herbs and Poison Making: A Better Approach to the Arts of Healing and Defense", Talia got up and walked over to the window sill for better lighting.

She paged through the book for a while. Her eyes fluttered as she tried to stay awake. Before she knew it, Talia lowered her gaze unable to focus anymore. She dawdled for a second, slanted to her side, and fell asleep on the window sill.

..

A few hours later, Talia could hear faint giggling sounds becoming louder beyond the doorway. She slightly opened her eyes and realized that a blanket covered her now. She smiled and fell asleep again. What seemed like minutes after, Talia soon felt the hem of her skirt being tugged.

It was Dameon. He continued to yank on her dress.

Groggy and tired, she sat up. The boy grinned, happy to have finally gotten her attention. He raised his tiny arm to show her an unusually large dandelion bloom.

"Ooh, how lovely, my son," Talia said as she yawned, still tired. "Is that for me?"

Dameon nodded, and gave the flower to his mother. He then managed to climb up on the window sill with her. Talia held the flower to him, seeing if he wanted it back to play with it. The boy, however, took a deep breath and exhaled with all his might, unleashing the exotic white filaments all over his mother's face.

"Little brat!" Talia exclaimed angrily, as she rubbed her pollen irritated eyes and spat out some of the seeds.

Dameon laughed uncontrollably and then tried to hug her, realizing that she was not pleased by his gift.

After she had removed the tiny nuisances from her face, she affectionately squeezed and tickled the little boy who giggled with contagious glee. Once he settled down, she gently brushed his soft brown hair with her fingers and realized that it was soiled with dust.

The boy, annoyed at his mother's grooming, pushed her hand away. But his mother's shiny green and silver priestess ring suddenly seemed appealing, so the boy started pulling on her hand.

"Dameon Maurva! No! That is not a toy!" Talia said now mad. She looked up towards the doorway and realized that his father was watching. All went quiet.

Aydan remained silent, resentful that Talia used her surname instead of his; her way of making a point about getting married, he knew too well. Aydan looked away before he went over, and picked up Dameon who squirmed and whined.

"Son, go pray to the Sun Gods."

"Noowhooooa!" Dameon moaned as he kicked his legs in the air.

"Now!" Aydan said loudly. He then let the boy go.

Dameon obeyed his father and grudgingly sat on the ground and closed his eyes.

After a moment, Aydan pulled out a small green jingling ball for his son to play with. Dameon threw the ball down the hall and chased after it. The ball magically disappearing with every other bounce.

"How long have I been sleeping?" Talia asked drowsy, but she got up, ready to do something.

"Not long, my love. You should try to rest some more."

"No, no, I want to be up. I can always nap later in the Dreamlands," she said and began towards the hall after her son.

Aydan shrugged and walked with her. He saw tiny filaments in her hair and began to pluck them off.