Luna nodded and helped me secure a saddle to my shoulder. “Please be careful, I’ve grown quite fond of those children.” She gave me a sad smile, but before I could ask her what was wrong, she hurried me along. “Go, go. I’m fine. I may bring the others so we can watch the first flight together.”

  “That sounds great.” I walked toward the cliff and stopped after a few steps. “Luna?”

  She turned back around as she was heading through the door of her shop. “Yes?”

  “Thank you for being so involved in the children’s lives. They’re lucky to have you around to help raise them.”

  Luna gave me a small smile. “Of course. They’re very special. Thank you for letting me be a part of their lives, and their legacy.”

  I tried to thank all of my bonded for helping with the children whenever I could. I knew it was a full-time job, especially with how wild all of them except for Liliana were.

  Although, even Liliana’s inquisitive nature could be extremely draining. Words of affirmation seemed to work well at certain times, but I thanked them in the bedroom as often as possible.

  After leveling up to God rank in Stamina, I was unstoppable, and I gave each of my bonded all they could handle, and a bit more.

  One thing that I’d been concerned about was why none of my other bonded were pregnant yet. Jun had theories it was something to do with cross-world travel, and the magic needed to bring us over, but it sure as hell didn’t stop me from trying.

  I made my way out to the cliffs with the two saddles and set them down as I neared. We hadn’t needed to chain the wyvern up any longer since they had fully accepted their extra duties around the village. I spotted the twins’ wyverns, Conri and Tala, approaching as I strapped a saddle to Arving, Henry’s wyvern’s, back.

  When all five of my children’s wyvern stood side by side next to Orsir, most people would have to be out of their mind to want to try them. I knew that once I had my children trained on how to ride them, I’d be able to lead a nearly unstoppable force.

  By the time I had both saddles on and explained to the wyvern what I needed them to do, I could hear the voices of my children in the distance. Well, William’s voice anyway. He sounded like a bulldozer as he moved through the forest, whereas I knew the twins and Liliana could already watch me from the edge of the forest due to how stealthily they moved through the trees.

  I sensed someone approaching from behind me, and I turned to spot Gwen and Isobel as they tried to sneak up on me. It wasn’t a very fair advantage, having a Sight rank of God, but it didn’t stop them from trying to prove they could still catch me off guard.

  I called out while I tightened the strap on Kuh’s saddle. “You two will have to do better than that.” I smiled and shook my head.

  “What about us?” the twins asked in unison from underneath Kuh’s legs. Eila and Elowen were both able to sneak under William’s wyvern without my noticing.

  I leaned down and gave them an approving nod. “Maybe you two should teach your mom and Aunt Gwen how to sneak.”

  Gwen playfully elbowed me in the ribs. “Hey now, we’ve still got it. Right?” She turned to Isobel for validation.

  Isobel shrugged. “I do, but I’m not so sure about you.” She gave Gwen a smirk and helped me cinch down the last straps across Kuh’s back. “Are you sure they are ready for this?”

  I looked up at Kuh who had his wings outstretched into the air. He looked absolutely massive from this close. “Absolutely. I’ve explained what I need from each of them.” I paused and motioned toward Orsir. “Orsir and I will be flying by their side in case anything happens.”

  Chloe stepped out of the forest and placed her hands on her hips as she inspected Kuh. “That is one big bastard, isn’t he?!”

  William strutted up to the wyvern and puffed out his chest. “Don’t worry, mother. I was born to ride this majestic beast.” He flexed his muscles. “Check out these arms. You can’t tell me that I’m not built to be a wyvern rider!”

  She tousled his hair and shook her head. “Just be careful, and try to take it easy. I know what you’re like when you get excited.”

  William gave his mother a hurt look. “This isn’t about the door of the house, is it?”

  “Or my stove, or the bed, or Oyo’s temple, or the fairy tree, or... do I need to keep going?”

  William shook his head. “No, mother. I will be careful.”

  Chloe turned to me and shook her head. “I don’t think I can watch.”

  I smiled and gave William a boost up onto Kuh’s side. He climbed up top and settled into the saddle. “Look. He’s a natural.”

  Gwen kneeled in front of Henry and spoke quietly. “I want you to respect Arving and be safe, but have fun, okay?”

  Henry was a little more serious than William. He definitely took more after me, instead of his mother. He’d been asking to learn to fly for the past year, but I needed him to grow large enough to control Arving’s reins before I felt safe letting him take to the sky. I could tell he was ready and focused on the task at hand.

  Isobel, Luna, and Mitsi arrived with the remaining saddles and quickly worked together to get the other wyverns ready to take to the sky for their first trip with the children.

  Henry and William were the first in their saddles and before the others could even climb into theirs, Arving and Kuh shot over the edge of the cliff and disappeared from sight.

  I gritted my teeth and swung myself up onto Orsir’s back. “Go,” I commanded, and Orsir dove off the cliff in the same direction that the others had gone.

  Chapter Thirty

  My only concern was Henry and William’s safety, and as Orsir sped toward the lake, my worries subsided.

  I should’ve known that any child of mine would be fearless, and they’d already proven to be more than capable, even with their relatively short time alive. I urged Orsir to go faster and caught up with the brothers as they raced their wyvern over the lake and into the canyon beyond.

  I cut between their wyvern and sped in front of them with ease. I knew they would want to go faster than I could, but they had a long way to go before they could get there. I curved back toward the lake and by the time we reached the base of the falls, the remaining three wyverns had joined in the fun.

  Each of the children did better than I could’ve ever hoped for. Giving each of the wyvern my expectations up front could’ve helped a little as well. The wyverns immediately responded to the children's commands, as if they’d known how to control them their entire lives.

  I glanced up and saw Alysain keeping pace with Orsir, circling underneath me and smiling as she completed a barrel roll over my head. I smiled and pushed Orsir forward, his brilliant scales lit brighter than the sun as I led the others back up to the top of the cliff.

  One by one, all the children returned in line where we’d started. They were all breathing heavily and I knew that the amount of adrenaline running through their bodies had to feel amazing. William let out a cheer as he slid off the back of Kuh and thrust his fist into the air. “That was amazing! Can I go again?!”

  I laughed and squeezed his shoulder. “Don’t worry, there’ll be plenty of time to ride.”

  The twins and Liliana tamed their windswept hair and slid down their wyverns to join William. Liliana smiled at me and then her mom. “That was incredible!” Dahlia’s shoulders relaxed slightly as she realized our daughter had made it back safely.

  The last one off of their wyverns was Henry. He stayed up top and was whispering something from his spot in the saddle on Arving’s back. Everyone else gathered around the other children who were sharing the experience of their first flights.

  I hung back and waited for Henry to make his way down. Gwen joined my side and wrapped her arm around my back. She looked up at me with an inquisitive look. “What do you think he’s saying?”

  I smiled and kept my eyes focused on Henry as he gave Arving a pat and worked his way back down toward the ground. “I think he was thanking Arving.” I closed my eyes and could see the bond between the two of them. It was stronger than all the others. “His bond with that wyvern is as strong as mine is with Orsir. He was a natural out there.”

  “Just like his father.” Gwen gave my side a squeeze and smiled.

  I spent the next several months taking each of my children out on training trips and each time their bond with their wyvern grew stronger. I thought it was interesting how each wyvern took on aspects of each of their bonded’s traits.

  Arving flew with purpose and confidence. Conri and Tala were stealthy, quiet flyers and preferred to stalk their prey just like my wolf girls.

  Calla was decidedly more calculated and hung back behind the others, much like Liliana, playing a perfect support role and ready to react should any of the others fall into any sort of danger.

  That left Kuh and William. I referred to them as the muscle. Kuh was as fearless as William, and did not shy away from potentially hazardous situations. That was clear when William and Kuh smashed headfirst into the cliff face while chasing after a rogue wyvern.

  Fortunately, Calla and Liliana were there to bail him out and help them down to the ground, with no one being seriously injured.

  I tried to maximize every day with them. I could finally understand what people meant when they said raising kids goes so fast. In my case, it was only that much faster. I was proud of how my bonded had responded to the challenge of raising the children, and of the people that my children had developed into.

  I finished my daily patrol, taking out the last of the lingering orc clans that posed any sort of threat to us. Their numbers had dwindled substantially, and they had completely changed their migration tracks over the past couple of years.

  I removed my saddle off of Orsir’s back and headed back toward the fairy tree. A slime girl walked past and gave me a smile. I smiled back and stopped as I caught my reflection in her shiny breasts. I reached out and held the slime girl by the hips. “Will you stand here for me for a second?”

  She looked at me with a confused expression and nodded. “Sure... I suppose.”

  I kept my eyes focused on my reflection at the top of her cleavage. I noticed the first specs of gray hair in my sideburns and the new beard I’d grown out. My face looked hardened, and it was the first time I realized just how much I’d aged since arriving in Alphos. Thankfully, I didn’t feel old, but I sure as hell was looking it.

  I thanked the slime girl and headed back to the house, where everyone was gathered around the kitchen to see what Chloe was cooking. I inspected my bonded women for any signs of aging, but if they had aged as much as I had since arriving, I couldn’t tell.

  Liliana came up to me as I stood at the door and smiled. “You seem... heavy.”

  I smiled and looked for the right words to respond. Even though she had only been alive for about eight years, from my best estimate, she now looked like a teenager. I pulled her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head. “I can assure you, I’m not... heavy. I think it just hit me you and your siblings are growing so fast, that soon it will be time for us to head back to Aurilon.”

  Liliana looked up at me, her sweet eyes focused on mine. “We will be ready.”

  I gave her another squeeze and nodded. “I have no doubts in my mind that you will be.”

  After everyone had eaten for the evening, and we heard many stories about all the mysteries of Aurilon told by Alysain, Luna, and Gwen, I took a walk.

  Ever since reaching God rank in several skills, I felt as if I had a sort of inner peace. Fortunately, I had not needed to use many of my God rank skills that were available to me, but I had a feeling that was ending soon.

  I glanced up at the dial on the fairy tree. There were only two marks that had not been illuminated. I knew our remaining time was going to go by just as fast, if not faster, than it had these years we’d spent here already.

  I shifted my attention toward the top of the tree and watched as several fairies zipped between the branches. It didn’t take long before I caught the eye of Jun as she made her way down from the platform near the top.

  “Logan? Is everything okay?” she asked and perched on my shoulder.

  I walked over to a large tree stump and sat. “Hi, Bug.” I paused and gave her a kiss. “Yes, everything’s fine. I've just been thinking about the fight to come. We’ll need to start our preparations for returning soon.”

  Jun nodded. “I understand. As much as I’ve dreaded this moment, I knew it was coming. I’ll have my fairies collect as much fairy dust as possible for the return trip.” She let out a long breath. “I was hoping to hold off on telling you this, but I don’t know if I’m going to make the return trip with all of you.”

  I turned toward her and furrowed my brow. “What do you mean? Of course you have to come back with us.”

  Jun shook her head. “I’ve made the trip twice in a brief time. Master Teng warned me about this. I’m not sure I’d survive another trip back, at least for a very long time.”

  I thought about it for a moment. “How long? Wouldn’t hundreds of years only equate to a short time on Aurilon?”

  Jun shook her head. “I’m not sure. It could be longer, and I’m not sure I’d survive that long.”

  I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’ll figure out a way.”

  Jun smiled, but I knew she didn’t believe it. “I love you, Logan West.”

  I held out my palm and she stepped inside. “I love you too, Bug.”

  She lifted into the air and released a bit of fairy dust, which covered my hand. “Well, I better tell the others we need to get started. The portal back to Aurilon will take as much fairy dust as we can muster.”

  I ambled back to the house as the reality sunk in that not everybody could make it back with us. I decided now was not the time to worry about the what ifs regarding that. I knew that the time I had left to train my children was going to be limited.

  Every day, I checked the dial after another training session. After another year, another notch was lit, leaving only one remaining. I felt confident in my children’s abilities. They each looked as if they were around fifteen or sixteen now.

  All five of them were extremely proficient in different areas. If one of them were to be by themselves, they would make for a dangerous foe, but I knew with all five of them together, wyvern or no wyvern, they would be unstoppable.

  Several more weeks passed and I could tell from each of my bonded that the nerves were rising. I’d been taking each of the children on longer and longer excursions, exploring the entire souther lands of Alphos in search of food, or rogue bands of orcs.

  I knew by the looks on many of my bonded’s faces they didn’t approve of me traveling so far away, especially because if something happened with the dial, I wouldn’t be there to spring into action.

  Their worries held merit, but I couldn’t wait around all day either, and wait for the portal to open.

  “Henry, William. I’ll need you two to follow me today. Luna and Mitsi have created clothes and armor for the entire village. I will not have a repeat of a couple nights ago.”

  Henry rose to his feet and nodded. “Of course. Is everything still over at their shop?”

  William pushed up slowly, like a kid being told to clean his room. “Is there much?”

  I shook my head. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll let you know when you’re done.”

  William let out a sigh, and Henry elbowed him in the ribs. “Quit it. Just follow instructions.”

  I pretended as if I hadn’t heard to see what William would do or say. Instead of talking back, he nodded and followed Henry out of the house and toward Luna and Mitsi’s shop. I glanced up at Chloe as she arranged some pastries on the table and shared a smile.

  William was as stubborn, if not more so than his mother, and that he was listening to commands, from his brother no less, was an amazing feat.

  I helped the boys deliver the provisions to everyone around the village. William stopped as we reached the fairy tree and pointed toward the entrance. “I’ve noticed you’ve gone down there. What do you do inside?”

  I laughed and shook my head. “Let’s not worry about that just yet. I’ll just say that my visits are integral to their survival.”

  William shrugged. “You always look happy when you return from there so I was thinking of giving it a shot.”

  “I think you are going to want to ease yourself into that sort of work. Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll get a little experience soon.” I glanced around at a few of the villagers who couldn’t tear their eyes off the boys. The same thing happened to the girls as well. My children were basically celebrities.

  William and Henry finished up the last delivery and headed back to the house to finish their studies for the night. Alysain had taken it upon herself to take over the teaching duties for the children.

  Once I’d reached God rank in Sight, I was able to single out each strand of tainted spirit within her body and eliminate them. She was back, better than ever, and was even faster than the wyverns, now that she wasn’t favoring a wound. Between her knowledge and the fairy library, there wasn’t a single subject that she wasn’t able to teach them about.

  As we reached the door of the house, a brilliant light filled the sky as if a massive bomb had just been set off. I waited for the aftershocks and braced myself for whatever was to come.

  I spun toward the fairy tree and watched as the dial shuddered and fell to the ground. It rolled on its edge and came to a rest near my feet. All portions of the dial were lit, and the entire thing was glowing with crackling blue energy.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  I turned back to Henry and William. “Gather the others. It’s time. Tell them to bring only weapons and armor, we cannot bring our other belongings, we are out of time.”

 

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