Adult-FanFiction.org : Cartoons

Vastati fatum (Ravaged by fate).	By : Solaris & Manta Category: +M through R > Mighty Ducks Cartoon Views: 1533 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Mighty Ducks, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
- 12
Chapter 11 - A New Flame.
Kala awoke in Julius’s arms; he had her wrapped in a blanket to keep her warm. "You're awake, and thank you."
“Did it work?” asked Kala.
"You’ve been asleep for about a day. But yes you are back where you started; only a day has passed."
She looked up at him as she quickly leaned up to him and started to kiss him. “Love me like we did in the past. Plunge yourself within me,” she whispered, as her hand started to stroke his member erect.
Julius moaned in her beak as he felt himself grow hard as the temptation of taking her was growing. He pulled her hand away from his member. “I am too thick for your young body, Kala, I would hurt you.”
Kala shook her head. “I have had thicker members within me. I took within me the erections of the Supreme Ancient and his apprentice.”
“But surely not my thickness,” Julius replied.
“In this body, I can. The Supreme Ancient’s member was thick like yours, but his apprentice was twice what SkyFyre’s member was and that hurt when he pierced my inner folds, I can surely handle your member within me, Julius,”
Without another word, he hoisted her up into his arms and carried her to the hut he made for her when she first showed there and laid her down on the bed he created there for her. He removed his clothing from his person and started to remove her Ancient robe from her body to find that she was completely naked underneath it. He started to kiss her beak as his hands wandered over her body. His right hand stroking her inner folds till her juices started to flow from her as she moaned and pushed against his hand. His fingers started to stroke her inner folds before sliding within her coaxing more juice and spreading her folds further apart.
Kala pushed him off of her as she knelt before him and started to stroke his member with her hand. When it went erect in her hand, she took it into her mouth and started to suck it.
“Kala! Oh hen!” Julius cried out as he thrust his member deeper into her mouth as he let loose his goo into her mouth which she swallowed as she stroked him erect again. He leaned against the wall of the hut. He couldn’t believe that she got him off that fast, as he felt her mouth on him again as she suckled him awake and gazed up at him. “Oh Kala, oh hen, I’m coming again!”
Kala felt his goo enter her mouth once again, as he cried out his immense pleasure. He pulled his member dripping with his goo and her saliva. “I need to finish pleasuring you, Kala.”
Kala smiled as she laid down on the bed. Julius started to run his fingers over her outer folds before he slid them within her inner folds making her moan in pleasure. “Julius, take me, fill me, I want you in me,” Kala moaned as she thrust her hips against his fingers.
Julius lifted her left leg over his waist as he angled his erection to her warmth and slid slowly within her. He looked down at his waist as he slid into Kala’s inner folds way too easily for someone of her age. His mind immediately realized that she was not a virgin like she should be before he entered her. As he tried to stop mating with her when she wrapped her leg preventing him from removing himself, he gave up trying to stop mating her so he gave into his desire and gave her as much pleasure as she gave him as he leaned towards her beak and started to kiss her as his hands massaged her breasts as he thrust completely within her.
It was three hours before they both pulled away from each other fully satisfied and filled to the brim with the seeds.
Julius laid next to her looking at her. “You should have been a virgin when I entered you, Kala.”
Kala smiled sadly. “True, but the Supreme Ancient was the one who took it from me.”
Julius’s eyes grew dark with rage. “He should never have touched you like that, Kala. No drake should ever force a hen.”
“I tried resisting but he slapped me and shoved it into my mouth and when I tried to refuse letting him enter my inner folds, he would bit me on my shoulder forcing me back against him which pushed his member into me and sometimes he would just shove it in without any previous touches with his hand. It felt dirty and wrong, unlike it did with you. With you it felt right,” Kala stated, as she curled against him.
Julius gazed at her. “Stay with me, stay here in Cassiopia, please don’t return to those monsters who only want to abuse your body for their own sexual desires.”
“I promised the Supreme Ancient that I would return and I cannot break it,” Kala replied, as she watched him get dressed before he sat next to her on the bed.
Julius frowned as he knew a broken promise would not do her any good. He had to let her return to those abusive bastards. “I understand.”
Kala slowly pulled on her Ancient robes knowing that just made a tent in his black pants that he wore. She could get him erect just by dressing. She looked at his tent in his pants as she knelt before him as he sat on her bed. “I should tend to that,”
Julius knew if he allowed her to suckle him off, he would never let her leave and breaking her promise to the Supreme Ancient. “No, you need to go tend to your promise to the Supreme Ancient. He will let you leave the temple at any time.”
Kaladan knew it was not to be as he was to make her his wife upon her return. “I can’t,”
“Why not?”
“The Supreme Ancient already has plans for me when I return to the Temple and it will be impossible for me to leave him,”
“What . . . plans?” He didn’t like the sound of it.
“He intends on making me his wife and Lady of the Ancients, after he ‘marries’ me, I am to take sacrament with every single Ancient male within the temple as a sign of my loyalty to the Ancients,” Kala replied.
Julius knew most of the sacraments the Ancients did. “What is this . . . sacrament he does with you, Kala?”
“The sacrament of the founder and his mate,” Kala replied.
“I never heard of it or seen it.” He stated. “It must be new.”
“It’s the only sacrament that is sexual in nature and it’s done between the Supreme Ancient and his apprentice,”
“But his apprentices are male?” Julius knew this didn’t sound good.
“Till I was kidnapped from my Necromancer escorts, he forced it onto me three days later, which after four hours of him forcing me since he kept getting hard after the third part of the sacrament was done, his apprentice did his version of the sacrament which was worse than what the Supreme Ancient did to me.” Kala replied.
“Show me,” he whispered.
Kala looked at him shocked that he wanted to see it. She nodded as she knelt before him and opened his pants to release his penis from the confines of his pants. She knew she didn’t need to do anything with her hands as it was fully erect. She proceeded to suck him till he expelled his goo into her mouth and onto her chest. At first, Julius thought that was all it was till he saw her drop her robe from her person and climbed onto the bed and presented him with her aroused, red tinted inner folds.
“He took you then right?” Julius asked in a whisper.
“Yes, you are to plunge deep and hard within since it was done with violence till you go limp, then I clean your member off till it is limp, if it remains erect, the process of him sheathing it within my inner folds happens again and I then clean it till it is limp.” Kala stated, as she wiggled her tail feathers at him. “Are you going to stand there or are you going to perform your role in this sacrament?”
“I could never ever mate you with violence, Kala.” Julius whispered, as he stepped out of his pants and went to Kala’s tailfeathers and with his hand opened her inner folds to him and slid his erection within her, thrusting hard but gentle within her. It took him another hour of complete thrusting before he went limp within her as he sat down on the bed and she was kneeling before him cleaning his limp member off as he came in her mouth again and again till his member stayed limp.
She stood up and pulled her Ancient robe back on. “That is the sacrament he will be doing with me and then the rest of the Ancients will be doing to me,”
“I refuse to permit you to return without protection, Kala,” he hissed.
“I already am protected, Julius, this time when he tries it, he will find himself facing a Pillar of Virtue and he will be destroyed.” Kala whispered, as she kissed him. “He will not be touching me like you just did ever again.”
"I'd ask you to be mine when you are older, but that would be selfish. I know you have your own path to walk, just remember that for someone to touch you in such a way must be your choice otherwise use your power to put them in their place."
Kala smiled as she kissed him one last time. “I will and if I was not already promised to another, I would say yes to your offer of marriage right now. I knew you would have asked when you returned from your fight with Sky to be my mate, but I was already married off and the soul that was within my ancestor wasn’t there no more.”
Julius nodded. "So are you promised to that Supreme Ancient?"
Kala shook her head. "No, but I'm not sure the one I'm promised to will want me after being with an Ancient."
"Who are you promised to?"
Kala smiled. "His name is Wildwing Flashblade, the arrangement was made by Lady Catherine Seabird, but that was for me to study at the guild not with the Ancients."
"No matter what hold your ground, the fragment of Wisdom should be able to feel your presence now; you should be able to feel his."
Kala closed her eyes and concentrated, she could feel part of Tyriel’s essence but very, very far away beyond her reach. "I'll do my best." she said, not certain how long she could keep her spells going to keep them away from her.
"Take your staff with you and hide it on your body. Take Sky’s as well but do not give it to them, break it before them and make it clear you will never be one of them."
Kala nodded as he handed her both her staff and Sky’s staff. She spelled her staff to shrink down and placed it within her belt as she looked at him. “Julius, thank you. If I am able to get away from them, I will return,”
"You will have to, Zahra left a prediction that the three of you would meet one last time here in 50 years from when you used the music box to travel."
“I understand,” Kala replied, as he escorted her from the hut and towards the cities. “Please promise me that you will take care of yourself and work on getting this city back from the ruins it is in,”
"Cassiopia is not dead yet, but it will take time before it will be back t it's full glory."
“I might not be alive to see that day come, but I hope it will be just as beautiful as I remember it to be,” Kala stated, she glanced at the drake she stood by, giving him one last kiss on the bill, she turned and walked away from him.
~~~~~~~~
It took her only a few days to get to the edge of the wastelands where she was able to use her magic before she used her gift to teleport into Keltor and in an alley, where she watched the scene before emerging and heading for the temple.
The gates opened to her as she walked within the temple, she knew she needed to see the Supreme Ancient first and give him the news that she’s not going to be his wife or an Ancient anymore. She walked to his office to see him sitting at his desk busy working on something on his desk. “I’ve returned.”
He turned and looked at her with a smile on his bill as his left hand dipped under his desk. He stood up which revealed his tent within his robes. Kala raised an eyebrow at the sudden erection that he had, when a drake emerged from under his desk with white goo dripping from his bill. “I thought you had been killed, you’ve been gone for so long.”
“So you took another apprentice to perform what is supposed to be my duties as your mate and Lady of the Ancients?” Kala snapped.
“We do not need to discuss this here, all three of us should take this into your chambers, Kala. We can be more private there.” The Supreme Ancient stated.
Kala crossed her arms standing her ground. "No, we will talk about it here."
"This is not an appropriate place for this sort of thing." he said trying to coax her to go along with him to some where more private.
"Actually it is since I am leaving and I don't have to worry about finding you a replacement."
The Supreme Ancient stood in shock for a moment till it turned into rage. "How dare you! You are to be my wife and you will perform the sacrament!"
"I am leaving," Kala said as she took out SkyFyre’s staff which all Ancients knew of and broke it in half before storming out only to be grabbed by four White Guards. She was about to unleash one of her spells when a collar was put around her neck causing pain through her body.
The Supreme Ancient smiled as she fell to her knees. "It's a little artifact we have acquired from the wastelands a few decades ago. The collar used on our master when the shadow tried to break him. The only release from its pain is the sacrament." She growled in anger. “What’s wrong, my mate? I thought you knew that you will be taking the sacrament the minute you came back? You will do your duty as the Lady of the Ancients. You will perform your role with them as you will be granting them the holy sacrament of the Lady of the Ancients, for they will taste you, my wife. All hundred and fifty members shall taste the warmth of the Lady of the Ancients for the next five days in celebration of your marriage to me.”
“Never!” Kala struggled trying to get the device off of her neck.
The Supreme Ancient took them to Kala’s chambers where the White Guards held her arms against the bed as Kala took the erection of the Supreme Ancient into her mouth and forced to suck it to completion.
He moaned as he spilled his goo into her mouth and onto her chest, before he moved to her tail feathers as his apprentice posed in front of Kala’s face readying himself to thrust his member into her mouth and force her to suck him. After stroking her inner folds for a moment, he shoved his erection deep and hard within her, sending a cry from her lips as the apprentice shoved his own erection deep within her mouth forcing her to suck it as they started to rape her.
Kala tried to use her powers but something was not right, her spells were not working period. She was now truly scared as she could not use her abilities and she was stripped of her robes. She looked at where the Supreme Ancient had flung her robe at to see her staff lying there. She tried to focus her mind to summon it to her side but the pain of the rapes being done to her and the pain of her powers being chained was clouding her mind to where the pain was all she was feeling. She was not getting any relief from the agony she felt even the thrusts of his erection within her was not dulling them down. All she could do was call out mentally knowing that no one would really hear her cries. She was trapped within the chamber with that device on her neck and she knew she was going to be enduring more rapes as she knew after the apprentice got done with her, the White Guards were next. She glanced to the side to see the White Guards all standing there with their leg robes off and them stroking their members. Her eyes grew big as she saw the widths and the lengths of the members she was going to be soon taking in her. She prayed that someone would hear her and save her.
The Supreme Ancient cried out as he expelled his goo within her as he pulled out seeing that his erection was still hard as he moved to Kala’s bill for her cleaning it as his apprentice slammed his erection deep within her inner folds.
“That’s it, my wife. Suck all of my combined power into you.” The Supreme Ancient cooed, as she licked him clean.
Kala smirked as she used the life force of the Supreme Ancient’s offered seeds as the power to send out a cry for help to any magic user who could hear her. All she could do was hope someone was close to aid her.
~~~~~~~~
Tristan was sitting with Lola and Rowain, discussing what he had found within the Ancients’ Keltor temple after his inspection. “They don’t have her. I checked and if she is what you think she is, Lola, then they must have already slain her and cremated her remains.”
Lola shook her head, "I still think she is alive, call it gut feelings."
Rowain raised a brow. "I'd call it listening to the Flashblade kid too much."
Tristan sighed. "I'm risking a lot as it is, who knows what will happen if a regular citizen figures out that I'm not avian and it has been an illusion. I'll give it a few more days, if nothing else to make sure nothing has been missed."
Tristan got up and looked out the window. He had felt her on the way to the planet but her presence had become masked. He clenched his claws into a fist - he had been so close to finding Virtue, time had been running out on Courage’s predictions. He was about to turn back to Lola and Rowain when he felt it like a large beacon before it faded out but he could still feel it, the anger and humiliation. "Tell the Flashblade kid he is right, she's alive, and I know where she is." Tristan said, before teleporting to Kaladan’s location.
~~~~~~~~
It was the last two members of the White Guards as Kala’s mate as the Supreme Ancient and his apprentice sat close by to observe to make sure that they do not remove the collar from around her neck. Kala had been battered by the erections being shoved within her inner folds and her mouth by the twenty-five White Guards. When they switch, she would cry out for help, before the White Guard slapped her face before shoving his erection deep within her mouth as the other White Guard shoved his erection deep within her inner folds sending more screams from her. The last pair of White Guards were shoving their erections within her with lots of violence in their thrusts as Kala would cry out in pain when they switched, her head low to the bed as the next erection was shoved into her mouth as they started to rape her again.
The next thing that anyone knew was both White Guards were vaporized. The Supreme Ancient and his apprentice turned to see an Avian standing there with flames erupting from his hands and a very angry look upon his face. Kala collapsed to the damp bed in exhaustion, she glanced at the figure before she went unconscious from the pain.
The Supreme Ancient didn't flinch. "You could have just asked, she is to perform the sacrament with everyone, I know the White Guards getting first go after myself and my apprentice was a bit demeaning to everyone else." he said with the assumption that the drake before him was upset at the White Guards taking his mate before the rest of the official Ancients did.
Tristan narrowed his eyes. "Someone like you does not deserve to live, or those under you." he said as he went to Kala’s still form and pulled her to him before he let loose a spell that tore all those not touching him from limb to limb leaving gory mess of limbs, organs and blood on the ground before he teleported back to Raven’s Court with Kala in his arms.
~~~~~~~~
Lola and Rowain were rushing from the building as they heard screams coming from the temple of the Ancients and then, there was Tristan standing there carrying a naked Kaladan in his arms with a collar of some kind on her neck and she moaning in pain.
Lola went to Kala’s form as she pulled off her jacket covering her nakedness. “Where was she and why is she naked and why does she have the smell of sex all over her?”
"In the Keltor temple, her magic under seal and her body being raped by the people there,"
"Her magic sealed?"
"The collar around her neck, would you be so kind as to remove it, a regular magic user can not but as a Dove child you are immune to it."
Lola nodded and removed the collar before taking Tristan and Kala to a private room to clean Kala up and let her rest. As soon as Tristan laid her down on the bed, Lola was about to suggest that he leave and allow her and the nurse to clean Kala up.
“No, I will not leave her side. I finally found her and I will not leave her side not when she needs me,” Tristan stated, firmly.
“Very well,” Lola replied, as she gathered the clean clothes and a bowl of warm soapy water.
Tristan was washing Kala’s body as Lola assisted with the washing. Lola noticed that Kala’s inner folds were very swollen and bright red, with white juice flowing from it. She went and got a nice hot wash cloth and washed her folds as carefully as she could.
Kala moaned out in pain as her legs struggled to close to protect that area. Lola ran her hand over Kala’s head and whispered that she’s safe now. Before she took another warm wash cloth and held it to her folds hoping to numb it before she applied salve to it to soothe the pain there. Tristan spoke, “They must have been raping her for hours as she has scars of previous assaults on her inner folds.”
Lola nodded. “Kala will be able to tell us what they’ve done to her. I’m sure that her family would be pleased that she’s safe as well the media will be pleased that she has been found and within the temple of the Ancients.”
"How much are you going to tell the media? How much do you think her family should know?"
“Well, the media will be told that the Ancients had her in their temple and when the Doves went in to claim her from them, they were about to rape the young hen that they had kidnapped from her escorts and to her family, we’ll tell them the full truth that they raped her unknown amount of time,” Lola replied.
Rowain stepped into the room with Nazan behind him. “We got problems.”
Lola looked up. “What kind?”
“Nosedive and Tensu went off campus. I think they’re heading to the temple, since everyone heard the screams coming from the temple.” Rowain stated.
“Damn! Nazan, you and Rowain go get them both back before they see the mess that’s there as I can bet that its going to be gross,” Lola replied. “I can’t leave her alone at this time.”
Nazan and Rowain nodded as they rushed out of the room and out of the campus towards the temple, hoping to get there before the two boys do.
A moment later, a commotion started to happen outside of the room as the door was thrust open and Tristan immediately went into protective mode as a black cloaked drake appeared in the room dragging Cleo behind him. “Where is she?” he growled.
"You are not to lay a hand on her." Tristan growled.
“I’m not here to hurt my mate, if she had chosen me, I would be her mate to be,” spoke the black cloaked drake.
Lola looked at him, something in her mind recognized him. “Julius Darkstar Nova, I presume?”
The black cloaked drake turned to Lola and smiled. “Yes, and I am bound to Kaladan Thunderbeak,”
"She really is Virtue then, why didn't you protect her better?"
“I warned her not to return, but she promised the Supreme Ancient that she would return.” Julius replied. “What caused her to be unconscious?”
Lola held out the collar. “This.”
Julius cursed. "Those bastards I never thought they'd get their feathers on it."
“They got their hands on it and they used it on Kala and when I got to her side, they were raping her with two White Guards at either ends of her.” Tristan stated.
Julius turned to look at Kala asleep in the bed as he walked to her side as he ran his hand over her hair. “How long do you think she had the collar on her?”
“Maybe a few hours, considering there was no White Guards standing in line from what I saw from my short visit there,” Tristan stated. “But I doubt they’ll recover from what I did.”
"I can imagine and am grateful."
"Do you know where the other two are?"
"No, all I have is Zahra's predictions to go by."
Tristan nodded. “Tell me do you know how long she has been raped?”
Lola looked at him shocked as Julius turned to look at Tristan. “From what she told me, the Supreme Ancient and his apprentice forced her into doing what she said was a sacrament of the marriage of the Founder and his mate, which was basically the rape that SkyFyre did to her namesake. She told me it started about a week after she was kidnapped by the White Guards and it was done every evening and every morning. When she was not performing that, she was sucking the Supreme Ancient’s penis and at times have to allow him to rape her on his desk,”
"Sick twisted monsters, even Doves are more civilized then that."
Tristan was growling. “I should have just vaporized every single bloody one of them before I left. I tore them from limb to limb with a spell.”
Lola looked at him. “So that’s why we all heard the screams, they were all being torn from limb to limb.”
Tristan nodded. "It seemed appropriate."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nosedive and Tensu snuck over the wall of the temple away from the media. Dive was grateful for some of the Dove’s classes he had never covered in his old school. Tensu had explained to him that the classes they were in were because certain bloodlines were expected to be both well educated as well as skilled in other things in case of war.
Dive saw the gore of the Ancients all spewed about the temple grounds. “Damn, they were pulled from limb to limb by how it looks. Who could have done something like this, Tensu?”
Tensu shook his head as he went to look at the remains. Dive went to check one Ancient to find that he was still alive even though he was missing both arms and legs. The Ancient was looking at him begging him to end his time, he didn’t want to live like this.
Dive removed his assigned dagger from class and without hesitation slit the Ancient’s throat. Tensu smiled, Dive didn't even hesitate. Dive cleaned off his dagger as they went to look for those who asked for death if they still lived. Tensu saw Nazan jumping from the side of the wall that they had taken. “Dive, the headmaster is here, we better scram.”
But by the time he turned to look at Dive, Dive was already slitting another still breathing Ancient who had caught Dive’s attention. He rushed to Dive’s side and tried to get the kid away but Rowain grabbed both of their necks with his hands. “Oh dang,”
"Well well, what do I have here, two students where they are not supposed to be?"
Nazan strolled over to them inspecting Dive’s handy-work along the way. "Let them finish up Rowain, though Tensu should help Dive since there maybe more then he can handle before he is due to go home."
Rowain looked at Nazan. “Are you sure that leaving them both here to finish the dying off is a good idea?”
"I want to see how both are with taking lives even for those who are in pain or deserve it. In combat it is no a conscious decision but here it is and how you cope with it."
Rowain nodded as he stepped back and watched as the two boys go to the remains to see who lived and who didn’t and to those who lived, they were given a quick slit across their throat. Dive knelt next to one and with his hand covering the kid’s eyes slit his throat, before Dive pulled what he had thought was a blanket and covered his face with it before going to the next Ancient and doing the same if he lived but there was not many Ancients who had suffered for long, most died of massive blood loss before Dive or Tensu got to them with their daggers. Rowain turned to look at Nazan. “You are his personal trainer. I want him fully trained, Nazan.”
Nazan cocked an eyebrow. “Then, who will tend to the compound, Rowain, Cleo?”
“I will, since you keep telling me that it will be mine one day, I guess I should really put my mind to working as the headmaster of the school.” Rowain replied.
"Why the change in heart?"
"Those two are not even adults and are dealing with a grown up task. I can not just keep pushing it off, and they are proof of that. The other reason is the Flashblade kid is too calm about it, he needs your training more then I do right now. Left on his own I'm not sure what will happen."
Nazan watched Nosedive as he dispatched another without emotion, but he showed respect to those he slit as to cover their faces before going to another one. “I think you are right. I need to be the one training him if someone else did the training, he may not consider the risks of his actions to the outsiders.”
Rowain nodded. “And that wouldn’t be good for him or for the Doves.”
“Indeed, you need to head back to the school and let Lola know what their doing and I’ll watch over our two little assassins,”
Rowain nodded as he hurried back to the wall they jumped over and vanished over it as Nazan turned to watch. He thought back about the young girl in the room, would she recover to have a sane mind or would she be so damaged mentally and emotionally that she kills any male who tries to have a relationship with her or just because they’re men. All he could do was pray to the Morningstar that would not happen as he raced back to Raven’s Court. As he neared his compound, he noticed that Canard, Odella and Tarisn were walking towards the gate, their faces showing their anguish and the pain. He knew the pain would be worse when they find out the truth about what Kaladan went through while she stayed with the Ancients. He decided to wait at the gate for them, it would save them from dealing with Cleo.
Odella saw Rowain standing at the gate. “Where is she? How is she doing? Can we see her now?”
"She’s in a guest room, being tended to at the moment, you can see her though I’m not sure if she is awake."
They headed into Raven’s Court with Rowain leading the way to the guest room. He knocked and opened the door. “Kala’s mom, brother and Dive’s mom is here to see Kala. Is she up for a visit?”
Lola looked at him. “She’s cleaned up and sleeping at the moment.” She turned to look at Tristan and Julius. “Is she safe enough for her family to visit?”
"She should be, not sure what her mental state will be when she wakes up though," Tristan said as he sat by her bed.
Lola nodded as she turned to look at Rowain. “Bring them in, I’ll tell them all what happened to her,”
Rowain nodded as he opened the door further revealing them standing behind him. Canard not wanting to wait to hold his sister bolted forth before Odella could grab him.
Julius blocked Canard’s path before he could get to Kala. "She's not going anywhere and be careful, we have no idea on how she will be when she wakes."
Canard glared at him for blocking his path to his sister. “What do you mean?”
"Meaning you could end up being blasted by a fire ball because she may or may not recognize you when waking up."
Tarisn turned to the Avian and spoke in Suscan tongue. “You may drop your illusion over yourself. You cannot hide who you are, honorary Pillar of Wisdom.”
Tristan dropped his illusion. "I should have known better then to use such thing in front of you Tarisn, though I did not expect to see you here."
She smiled. “I came here to give support to my best friend and see what I can do for my future daughter-in-law,”
"Then you should probably examine her, I've already taken a look and have my conclusions as well as what I witnessed when I found her. But I'd like a second opinion since I will have to answer to the guild about my actions during her rescue."
“The bloodshed at the Keltor temple of the Ancients,” Tarisn asked, as she walked towards Kaladan.
"Yeah, I lost my cool. I heard the call for help and reacted on instinct."
“What call for help?” Canard asked.
Odella looked to Tarisn. "Mind explaining?"
Tarisn nodded. "Tristan Wraith was my teacher back in the day. He is also a Pillar of magic, so he's a trained bio-mage. Healers’ guild forbids using our skills for indiscriminate killing. But from what is being implied your daughter has inherited the power of one of the Pillars which is why he could hear her cry for help when others could not, Pillar are linked mind, body and soul."
“So what happened to my sister, to cause her to be in this state?” Canard asked, as he tried to get closer to her.
Julius looked at him as he blocked him again. He was going to be brunt about it. “The Ancients have been raping her since they kidnapped her.”
Odella turned to Tristan. “If you were connected to her, as a Pillar, why didn’t you hear her cry before now?”
Tristan looked to Julius to answer. "She was dormant till our paths crossed in the wastelands, she was in bad shape then. They sent her there in hopes that she'd die on the way. I took her in for a bit and showed her the ruins, the essence of the Pillar Virtue awoke in her there, I tried to convince her not to go back to the Ancients but she had made a promise and because of her magical nature she can not break her promises. So I asked her to promise me she'd return only to break ties with them. She made that promise and I know she had not broken it." Julius took the magical restraining collar from the table in the room. "They had restrained her with this when Tristan found her. It's a miracle she managed to get a cry for help out at all with it on."
Odella roared with anger as did Tarisn. Odella grabbed her alchemist gloves but stopped as she got it on half way. “Save it for Kala. She will destroy that bloody thing as her last step in her recovery.” She turned to Tristan. “What were they doing to my girl when you found her?”
Tristan sighed. “They were raping her. Raping her from the front and the back, she was in the middle two White Guards when I appeared and vaporized them both instantly out of anger of what they were doing to her young body.”
Julius spoke, “She told me from the week after they kidnapped her, the Supreme Ancient would force himself in her along with his Apprentice who would rape her each and every morning and night. During the afternoon, she would be forced to suck his penis till he went limp and there was a time when she was forced onto his desk and be raped by him.”
They were angry, not at them but at the Ancients. Odella looked at them. “I’m going to kill him for what he did to my baby girl.”
Tristan smirked. “I’ve already done it. I slaughtered every single Ancient.”
Tarisn nodded, "You really are going to have to answer to the healers’ guild about that."
"But they deserved it for what they were doing. I know it is a fine line between what they were doing and some of the stuff that we take as everyday in space."
Odella sat near her daughter as Tarisn started to examine Kala's injuries. The full impact sinking in the more she saw. Kala’s vagina was ripped and evidence of previous assaults was there. She pulled out her rape kit and proceeded to clean her vagina out of the seeds that were within it. After that was done, she applied salve to the tears around her vagina before she examined the rest of Kala’s body. It was on her shoulders that she found bite marks around her neck the size of a full grown drake’s bill and teeth impressions. “They were biting her as well,”
Julius spoke, “Probably to force her to move back against them while they’re raping her, they bite her neck forcing her to cry out in pain and push away from the bite which forces the penis in even deeper.”
Odella nodded as she knew some males would bite their mates to make them take their penis in deeper. “Why would they rape her?”
"She had the misfortune of having the same name as the first Pillar of Virtue who historically was raped by their founder when she refused to be his wife, but from what I could tell from their scrolls their account is different. She became his wife and he forced her to mate with him and then let his followers take her as much as they liked for five days after. Though he'd take her regularly, once a year she would be taken by the members again for five days and so it would continue for the rest of her life."
“My word, they were sick! All of them.” Odella whispered.
Canard said. “Maybe the kidnapping was not just to get the Pillar of Virtue but to get a hen to do this act with them?”
Tristan looked at him. “Maybe but they might have tried to destroy the Pillar of Virtue by abusing her like this.”
"Then they don't know what Virtue is." Julius said with a knowing tone. "The more hell you put Virtue through the stronger she gets. Virtue is the channeler of the three, Wisdom is the caster, he who initiated, Virtue is the channeler, she who takes all in and balances magic. Courage the sealer and judge, with magic there must be trust and integrity, otherwise it can lead to death."
Tristan made a nod. "Right now only time will tell if she can hold to her power as Virtue."
“I hope she will be able to,” Julius replied, as he turned to look at Kala. In his guts, he was scared for her. He knew she needed his love more than ever.
“You need not to worry about her, Julius, she will get stronger, though we will have to contend with her current mindset when she wakes. She may not recognize her family,” Tristan stated, in Saurian.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nosedive and Tensu had almost finished up with the survivors when Dive came upon a shivering nude young hen, though when he tried to approach her she would back away. "Nazan! I need your coat!"
Nazan turned his head from watching Tensu’s latest cut to see Dive kneeling near a dead Ancient who was naked and then he noticed the naked hen that was trying to stay away from Dive. He strode towards them pulling off his jacket as he went, he knelt next the hen and placed the jacket around her. “You’re safe now,” He looked at the two naked drakes next to her. He figured what might have happened or was about to happen to her when the spell hit the drakes. “Did they touch you?”
The girl shook her head. “They tried but were ripped apart. What happened to them?”
"They got someone mad that they should not have. Do you have anywhere to go?"
The hen shook her head. “My mother disowned me when I killed my stepfather with my magic when he raped me,”
Dive turned to look at Nazan before he turned to look at the hen. “Did they wear white or blue?”
“White,”
“White Guards, they did their mind control on the hen’s mother. We might want to find her and see what she really wants to do with her daughter?” Dive suggested.
Nazan raised a brow. "Do you want to go back home? Or would you rather come with me? Then, again we can wait and see if your mother was messed with by magic on her decision to disown you was not her choice."
“I want to go home,” Summer replied.
“Very well, we shall go visit your mother and find out the truth,” Nazan stated, as he looked at her.
Dive looked at Nazan. “I don’t think there are anymore living Ancients here. We can go now.”
Nazan nodded. "You did well Nosedive, you will make a good assassin when you are older." He smiled to Summer. "You need a bath and clean clothes; we'll stop off at my home before we see your mother."
“Okay,” the girl said. She looked at them. “Who are you?”
"I am Nazan Rokfeather, the young drake is Nosedive, and the saurian boy is Tensu." Nazan looked at Tensu. "Make sure you are well covered when we are on the street, you don't want to be spotted for not being avian out here, for it will cause trouble."
“Will do, Nazan,” Tensu stated, as he pulled out a black hooded jacket from his bag and wrapped his tail around his waist hiding it under his jacket. “Ready to go, sir,”
Nazan nodded as he led them out the back way of the temple to avoid the media and took them a few blocks away from Raven’s Court. He opened the gate to an old looking house made of stone. Summer recognized it as the same type of house most of the old money had. She searched her memory for Rokfeather and only came up with a bit of gossip that she had accidentally overheard, that Rokfeather was an eccentric Raptrin, but a catch if you could catch his eye. Nazan took them inside where they were greeted by another Raptrin before he reprimanded Nazan for forgetting his place in society and shouldn't be skipping out on social events where he could find a good wife and forget the Dove nonsense.
"It does not matter how much you nag, Giles, I'm Dove whether father liked it or not, he knew that when he married my mother."
"You are still a Rokfeather and should act like one, instead of gallivanting playing soldier and the Dove nonsense, I will never understand, Dove seems to be a code word for cold blooded killer in my opinion."
"Giles..." Nazan said coldly.
"Yes young master Rokfeather?" Giles said ebbing on the edge of sarcasm.
"Shut up or you will find your tailfeathers out on the ice. The only reason you are still a butler to this house is out of respect for my father otherwise I'd have taken mother’s advice and have your head on a pike at the front gate. Is that understood?"
"Yes young master Rokfeather." Giles said without challenge.
"Good, now get a bath ready for the young hen while I look through my mother’s clothes for something that may fit her."
Giles nodded as he headed for the bath chamber. He paused long enough to suggest looking in the attic for his mother’s younger clothes as the clothing she has here is her adult age and then, he vanished within the bath chamber.
"Is this why you stay at Raven’s Court most of the time?" Tensu asked with a grin.
"You could say that. Nosedive stay with Summer; make sure that Giles doesn't cause her discomfort. Tensu you’re with me in the attic."
Tensu nodded. “Yes, sir,” as he followed Nazan up the stairs towards the attic.
Nosedive turned to look at Summer, with her red hair. He smiled. “Come on, I’m sure the tub is ready for you to wash up.”
Summer attentively nodded her head as she followed Nosedive to where the bath was at. He looked at her. “You can wash yourself right?”
Summer nodded, she didn’t want to say anything for fear of breaking down and crying. She figured that she’ll do it when she’s alone and in the bath.
Giles was waiting for her with towels in hand his expression a bit softer then when he was around Nazan. "Young drake, please wait outside the bathroom, young miss take your time, I hope you like scented bubble bath you look like you could use it."
Summer smiled and whispered a thanks, as she took hold of the towels and placed it by the tub as she stuck her hand into the water. She turned to find both drakes out of the room and the door closing behind them. She pulled off the jacket that she wore and placed it on the hanger on the door before climbing into the tub and relaxing for a few minutes before she took hold of the wash cloth and dunked it into the water and held it to her face crying. It was not long before her sobs stopped and she started to clean herself up from the grime and the gropes that the two Ancients did to her feathers. She could feel their phantom hands caressing her inner folds, she felt sickened by what they were doing that her stepfather had done only an hour before. She wanted nothing more to erase the memories that were in her head.
Giles and Nosedive stood by the door. Dive wanted to go into the room when he heard the sobs, but Giles refused to let him enter the room. Giles looked at him. “Let the girl cry, she was wanting to cry the moment she stepped foot in here.”
“How could you tell?” Dive asked.
"Her composure and the expression in her eyes. That and Master Rokfeather in the past has brought children here only when they are in need of help. He tries to be a scary Dove but he's a Rokfeather to the core - kind, charitable and loving. I just wish he'd settle down find a wife and raise a family and leave the Dove things behind."
"Giles, don't you think the Doves need some one like him? The teacher who shows that there is more to being a Dove then just being a weapon? Besides he's the Crimson Dove, the only person allowed to challenging the Black Dove." Dive said contemplatively.
"Are you not a little young to be worry about such things?"
Dive shook his head. "I think I should think about these things. Right now Nazan is molding the potential leader of the Dove, it may not have much of an impact now but it will when I'm an adult."
Giles nodded. "I see, you know he never bothers to tell me anything about it."
“Maybe because I didn’t want to know about it?” Nazan stated, as he came into the hall carrying a few clothes. “I found my mom’s younger clothes. Didn’t know what she might like so I brought most of them down.”
"I would worry less about you, young master, if you would tell me what is going on." Giles took a look at them. "I'll let the young lady know you have clothes ready for her when she is done bathing."
“Thank you, Giles, I’ll take these two into the kitchen to get some food and get some for Summer, when she comes out of the bath.” Nazan replied, as he led Tensu and Nosedive into the kitchen.
It was another thirty minutes before Giles came into the kitchen leading Summer, who was dressed like a young Dove girl. Nazan gave her a warm smile. “Come and eat, then we’ll pay your mother a visit.”
"Are you sure, sir?" Summer asked as she sat at the table and eyed the fruits that were in front of her figuring out which one to eat first. "My mom might just throw a fit about you causing a scandal."
"May I ask who your mother is?" Nazan asked conversationally.
"Dalia Beaufinch."
"I see, if I remember correctly she had bad taste in drakes." Nazan said as he looked to Giles. "Would you please send an invite to Ms Dalia Beaufinch to join us for late tea, there is something important I'd like to discuss with her."
Giles bowed. "I'll deliver the message personally young master."
“Thank you,” Nazan whispered, as he turned to Summer. “Have whatever fruit you want, we have plenty,”
Summer started with the sweetest fruit on the plate, her mother was well off but fresh fruits and vegetables were a luxury saved for when there were guests her mother wanted to impress. Mr. Rokfeather seemed pretty nice, she wasn't sure about the two boys that were with him especially the one with the scales, but they did come to her rescue and were finishing off the Ancients who seemed to be hanging on to life. She looked at the one with the scales and spoke, “What species are you?”
“I’m a Saurian and my name is Tensu,” Tensu stated.
"Aren’t Saurians just myths?"
"News to me, I'm pretty sure I’m not a myth."
Dive laughed. “I’m Nosedive Flashblade.”
"Nice to meet you, why were you at the temple?"
“We both heard the screams and went to investigate the sounds and when I checked one of the Ancients. He still lived even after what happened to him and he begged for a quick end and I gave it to him. I proceeded to go look for those who still lived and end their time,” Dive replied. He didn’t hide anything from Summer.
"Killing someone doesn't bother you?"
"I thought it would but it does not. Though I can say it's not fun, rather messy and not something I want to explain to my mom because then she'd get mad at me for it."
“My mom would get mad at me for anything, even if it was not my fault,” Summer replied, as she grabbed a fruit and started to munch on it. “She never thought of me as anything, unless someone was coming over and she wanted us all to look like we’re this one big happy family.”
"So what are you going to do now then? Go home or find a new place to stay? Maybe work for the Suscans?" Dive asked out of curiosity.
“I don’t really know, I’m not sure what I really am going to do next,” Summer replied, as she looked at the fruit she had in her hand. She turned her upper body to the door. “She’s here.”
Nazan smiled as Giles let Dalia into the dining room. "Dalia Beaufinch, I haven't seen you since your debutant. Always thought you and Filger would be together till the end, pity the chap got into that nasty hovercar accident. And I hear now that your second husband had a very unfortunate accident, seems you can not keep a drake if you wanted to. But that is not why I asked you to join us. Please sit and be comfortable." Nazan said with all smiles and the pleasant conversational tones of high society. "Giles please get our dear Dalia some tea and fruit."
Dalia sat down next to Summer and that was when she realized that she was sitting there. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be with those blue cloaks?”
"Dalia, dear, have you not been following the news recently? You'd have a scandal on your hands if the rest of society knew that you sent your daughter with them."
Dalia turned her attention back to Nazan. “What do you mean, a scandal, they never did anything wrong?”
Nazan shook his head. He knew once he says it, Dive will learn about it. “Do you remember the Thunderbeak girl? The White Cloaks of the Ancients kidnapped her.”
“So, that doesn’t concern me,” Dalia replied.
“Well, the Supreme Ancient and his apprentice along with the 25 White Guards were raping that Thunderbeak girl since the day that they kidnapped her. The Ancients that had your daughter was about to do the very same thing to her as the Supreme Ancient did to the Thunderbeak child.” Nazan stated, calmly. He grabbed hold of Dive’s thigh and squeezed it to keep him from moving.
“Well, serves them both right,” Dalia replied. “They shouldn’t have magic, they told me that they would force it out of her any way possible, even if it meant raping the child.”
“MOTHER!” Summer cried out, shocked that she had said such a thing.
"Well it is true, a high society hen should not have magic, it's just plain wrong."
Nazan shook his head, "Dalia, you are thinking too small. You'd have done better selling her to the Suscans, a hen with magic has value and rather common among them. Though they would wonder what sort of dire situation you were in to sell a daughter but for business they wouldn't ask."
Dalia considered this for a moment. "Would it be no different then giving her to the blue cloaks?"
"Quite different actually, Summer would have had a better chance of being trained. Though if you wanted to hand her over to an order, then the Necromancers would have also been a better choice."
"My late husband would not stand for that, they raise the dead and do horrible things to people."
"Well, raise the dead yes, but horrible things to people? I think you are misinformed; they run over half the charitable organizations on Puckworld and believe that to be a responsible magic user is to be able to work and live among regular people without cursing harm. The priests do summon the dead but normal it's from an agreement or born with the person they had in life, nothing wrong with that."
Dalia shot Nazan a brief nasty look before she regained her composure. Sure Nazan Rokfeather was a catch if you could get him, but he was also such an annoying know it all that could turn praise into criticism with only a few words. “I'd rather sell her to the Suscans, then give her to the Necromancers."
"I see so you have no desire to keep your daughter what so ever?"
"She has magic and would only cause problems in my social circles."
"In that case, Summer, I'll ask you what you want. Right now you can go with your mother knowing what she intends, or you can ask to be adopted into Rokfeather, or you can run away and do as you please. This choice is yours to make."
Summer looked at her mother and then to Nazan. “I would rather be adopted by you than live with my mother, who only intends on selling me instead of loving me like she had claimed before she married her second husband who turned out to be a child rapist like the Ancients was.”
Nazan smiled to Dalia. "You would be doing me quite the favor letting me adopt Summer, as it stands I have no children to inherit the Rokfeather estates."
"What about those two boys?"
"They are from prominent families in my own social circles. They had the misfortune of finding Summer when they went to see what happened at the temple. They were worried so I allowed them to stay until they felt it was alright. After all who knows what they would have told their parents and what rumors would go about if I sent them home after brining Summer here."
Dalia looked at the two boys before turning to look at Nazan. “So do you need any paperwork signed to confirm this deal? I rather not wish to linger here any longer than I have to,”
Nazan smiled and nodded, as he produced some papers for her to sign. “There is also a clause in it, that when you die, your fortune is to go to Summer, no other child shall obtain it and if you spend it before you pass on, you will regret it in the next life.”
Dalia shot him a look. "You planned this didn't you?"
"More of a spur of the moment as soon as I realized whose daughter she was,"
“So give me the papers so I may leave,” Dalia snapped.
Nazan pulled out the paperwork and pulled out a pen pushed it all towards her. They all watched as she signed her name on it and pushed the chair back and stood up. “A pleasure to see you and good day,” and with that said, she walked out of the Rokfeather home and out of Summer’s life for good.
Summer wanted her mother to say something but she never did but her mind was filled with shock and rage towards her. “I was an embarrassment to her, nothing I ever did pleased her.” And then all the emotions that she held back when she saw her mother broke free and she started to cry.
Nazan got up and put a hand on her shoulder. "I know this won’t help, but Dalia has always been a self centered brat that can not see past keeping her status quo. She is your mother, but I think you take after your late father." Nazan took the seat beside Summer. "You were just a hatchling when he died. He kept it well hidden from your mother but he was a trained magic user. He studied privately with the Necromancers. The official story is that he died in a hovercar accident. The truth was he was killed by the Ancients for being a Necromancer."
Summer looked at Nazan. “They killed daddy?”
Nazan nodded. “And they tried to do you harm, but were killed by another magic user in a rage.”
“Who was this other magic user?” Asked Summer.
"Tristan Wraith, right now he is tending to the other hen they had done harm to."
“Will we be seeing her as well?” Summer asked, as she looked at him.
Nazan nodded. “I should return these two back to the school and get you enrolled into school there, but I think you might do best to learn in the magic user guild as well,”
Summer, Dive and Tensu all nodded as they got up from the table and headed for the door and back to Raven’s Court.
~~~~~~~~
It was hours later, Tristan and Julius sitting next to Kala’s bedside, stroking her hair as Tristan scanned her mind hoping to see if her mind was damaged from the assaults but he found nothing but rage and pain in her mind. He told her in whispers that the pain is gone and the ones making the pain are dead. He knew she would awaken only when she’s ready to. He glanced at her mother and twin brother. “She is slowly coming out but it will take time for her to fully awaken.”
"How long do you think it will be?"
"Might be a few hours, might be a few days, mental trauma is much harder to heal than physical."
“So she may awaken two hours to two days?” asked Canard.
“Possibly but I have seen some that last for more than two years,” Tristan stated.
Canard sighed. "There is no way to help her get better faster?"
"I'm already doing the best I can. Right now we are just lucky that there is no brain damage."
Odella knew that the collar that the Ancients placed around her daughter’s neck was bad but she didn’t know it could have damaged her brain. “How long did she really have the collar on her? Can you tell me that?”
Julius spoke, “It took me about five hours to get here using what I could. Kala left my side in the wastelands around dawn and it is six at night four days later. She most likely had it on her for about five to ten hours or even longer if she got back there earlier than what I am assuming.”
Tristan shook his head. “If she returned days ago, she might be better off dead, that length of time separated from her powers, would be like a living death sentence for her. It most likely the collar was on her for a very short time of four to six hours.”
Tarisn shuddered. "Tristan’s right, she is lucky to not have any brain damage, 70 percent of cases like this brain damage happens after three hours of being cut off from their powers. I think the longest any one has managed is eight hours but after that was brain death."
Odella was fuming. “I hope the Supreme Ancient and all his people who took my little girl rots in hell and may the Lord of all Demons use them for their own pleasure chambers or tortures them till they beg for release and not get any.”
Tristan looked at Odella. “He’ll torture them for all of eternity, it is one thing that he does not like is people harming his people and your daughter is one of them.”
Julius turned to look at Tristan. “I can even approach him about making sure that they are tortured really, really bad considering that they violated a Pillar and violated someone that I love. He will take it under advisement and they’ll be wishing that they never did touch her.”
Tristan nodded. "Right now I think it would be best if we got some rest and something to eat. Though to not leave her alone we may have to do so in shifts,"
Canard spoke up, “Why don’t you both go and eat, I’ll stay with her.”
Julius and Tristan looked at him and then to Kala. They both hesitated in accepting but he was family to her. Tristan nodded. “I don’t see any harm in letting you stay. I’ll keep tabs on her mentally.”
Julius nodded as they went to the mess hall with Lola, Odella, Rowain and Tarisn.
Canard sat by his sister and held her hand. He talked to her, telling her how much he worried for her and that he wants her back. He didn’t notice her eyes flickering before a hand went for his throat as he cried out in shock.
~~~~~~~~~~
In the mess hall, just as Tristan and Julius started to eat, they dropped their food and vanished quickly from view. Lola swore as they raced for Kala’s chambers, knowing that something bad must have happened or that she awakened.
When they got to Kala’s room, Julius was restraining her and trying to calm her down as Tristan was checking Canard over for injuries. Odella cried out, hoping that her daughter could hear her. “Kala, you’re safe. Baby girl, you’re safe now!”
Julius was whispering the same words but with different words. He started to notice after ten minutes, she started to calm down and stopped fighting him. He held her close to his chest, hoping his heartbeat would soothe her.
“Mama, they hurt me,” Kala whispered.
Julius wasn’t sure if he should let her go but he noticed that Tristan was watching from where he was kneeling. He motioned for Odella to come to him as he was not going to let Kala go, after she attacked her brother.
Odella went to her daughter’s side and held her as Julius held her close to him. She stroked Kala’s hair as she whispered comforting words to her. It was another ten minutes before Kala drifted off back to sleep again. Odella looked at Julius. “At least, she recognized my voice after all this time.” She turned to look at Tristan and Canard. “How is he?”
Tristan smiled slightly. “He’ll have a sore throat from where she choked him but there should be no lasting damage. He got lucky that she attacked him with her hands instead of her powers or he would have been nothing but ashes.”
"So what do we do now, if it is not safe for her family to keep an eye on her?" Lola asked.
"Julius and I will have to do so in rotation, her mind is a jumble . . . though no damage her mind is projecting images onto people and triggering reactions."
"In other words she's hallucinating," Tarisn said seeing Odella’s confused look on Tristan’s explanations.
“Yes, she’s hallucinating which could last for a few hours to days,” Julius added. “But she did hear her mother’s voice which means she is aware of who is around her right now but when she’s waking, it is very iffy on what her reaction will be.”
"There is no way Wildwing should be allowed near her at the moment." Tarisn said, worried that Kala may kill Wing without knowing it was him.
“What does your son look like?” asked Tristan.
“He’s white feathered with blue eyes.” Tarisn stated.
“No other feather coloring on him?” Tristan asked.
“No, he took after his father more than I, with his coloring. Nosedive on the other hand, has my blond hair.” She replied.
Tristan nodded as he scanned Kala’s mind. "Definitely not a good idea, he might be mistaken by her mind as her main tormenter, best to keep him clear because it won’t be just a physical attack, same goes for the younger child."
Odella and Tarisn nodded as the door knocked. Lola went to the door and opened it a crack to see Nazan standing there with Dive, Tensu and another hen wearing Rokfeather clothing. She slipped out and closed the door. “She just woke and attacked her brother.”
Nazan shuddered. “How are they both doing?”
“Kala’s asleep and Canard is shaken up a bit but he’ll survive,” Lola replied. She turned her focus on the red head. “So who’s the red head?”
"This young lady is Summer, I'm adopting her for my own reasons, and before you ask no chains, she's to inherit Rokfeather not to serve your father."
“Magical?” Lola asked.
Nazan nodded. "She was another to be victim of the Ancients. Nosedive found her at the temple when finishing off the survivors."
Lola nodded as she turned her attention to her. “You were the lucky one, not to have felt the pain that my friend’s sister is going through,”
“I am?” asked Summer, looking at the female.
"Yes they could have put the restraining collar on you and then forced you, not a pretty thing that is for sure."
“A restraining collar?” Summer asked.
Lola went into the room picking up the collar and brought it out. “This is the collar that they could have placed on your neck,”
Summer ran behind Nazan and refused to come from behind him. “Keep that thing away from me!”
Nazan wrapped his arms around her. “She won’t put it on you or put it anywhere close to you, Summer.”
Lola nodded as she returned the collar to the room. “I’m sorry to have scared you with it. But what did you sense from it?”
“Pain, death and fear,” Summer replied.
"That is exactly what it causes, and right now we are tending to someone who has survived it, but is not in the best of health."
“May I see her? I might be able to help,” Summer said.
Lola looked at Nazan. “I’ll see if her two helpers will allow you to assist.” Lola stepped inside the room. She went to Julius and Tristan. “We have another,”
Julius swore heavily. “I should really go hunt those collars down and destroy them all.”
“She was not tortured with the collar but she was to be one of their victims but they were pulled from limb from limbs,” Lola stated.
Tristan smiled. "Well at least my overreaction saved someone, it will help my case. Let her in, it's males’ I'm worried about Kaladan’s reactions."
Lola nodded as she stepped out and spoke, “Summer, they will allow you to come in.” Dive started to walk with Summer. Lola held her hand out to him. “I’m sorry, Dive, but Kala’s previous reaction to males nearly killed Canard. You will have to wait for Kala to recover fully before seeing her.”
"Alright, just make sure she gets better."
Lola smiled as she led Summer into the room and closed the door behind her. “Julius, Tristan, this is Summer, another magical hen. Summer, the girl in Julius’s lap is Kaladan, she suffered the restraining collar,”
“She’s in pain but she doesn’t want to state it, she’s holding it in,” Summer spoke, as she looked at Kala wrapped in a blanket lying between the legs of the pale green feathered, jet black haired drake with ice blue eyes that looked older than what the drake looked like.
Julius turned to look at Tristan. “Is she hiding the pain from us both?”
"Not, the pain is something we can not deal with directly, it's emotional more then psychical."
“How can we help her emotionally?” Lola asked.
Julius shrugged as he never really dealt with something like this and he was at a loss. “I never dealt with this side of the collar.”
Tristan’s eyes were closed as he listened to Kala’s mind before he opened his eyes and spoke, “We will have to support her while she’s coping with the emotional pain,”
Summer went to the bed and placed her hand on Kala’s blanketed leg. “It is the trauma of the rapes and that no one came to her rescue after her calls for help. That’s her pain. I felt that when my stepfather forced himself onto me and no one came to my aid, I had to fight him myself.”
Tristan turned to look at Summer. “She tried to call out for help but she used her magic, not her bloodline. If I had heard her sooner, I would have saved her from all of the rapes that she had to contend with this day.”
"So you went to her as soon as you heard her?"
Tristan nodded. "Lola and her people were searching for her since she was kidnapped."
“Is her last name . . . Thunderbeak?” Summer asked.
“Yes, how do you know?” Julius asked.
“I heard it being talked about by my mother to her friends about how low the Thunderbeaks went from losing their money that they had to sell their daughter only to have her kidnapped,” Summer replied. “My mother made some rude comments about her family,”
"Kaladan was not sold." Lola said from behind Summer. "She was someone that my mother wanted to invest in because her mother had worked for mine."
“So she was to be an employee of your mother?” Summer asked.
"Not quite, my mother has it arranged that in exchange for an arranged marriage, Kala will get her training paid for to train at the magic users guild."
Summer looked at them. “I want to train along with her at the magic user guild,”
"You'll have to ask Nazan about that, we have no control over your education."
“He said something about a magic user guild, but I will ask him when I take a break of watching over Kaladan,” Summer stated.
Julius, Tristan and Lola nodded as they sat around Kala hoping that she’ll awaken soon. They discussed who would take turns watching her and decided that it would be two people each 12 hours till she recovers from this.
~~~~~~~~
Summer stretched after her watch over Kala with Lola. The Suscan girl was pretty nice but she could understand why they kept watch in pairs. Lola apparently had a knack for defusing magic but not very strong in mental powers. Julius and Tristan had what they called a bond which worked on a different level. She walked the corridors looking for her new step dad, at first she had though her powers were going away until Lola had explained that most people in this schools were diffusers, those who naturally were immune to outside magics. So if she could not read her new step father’s mind or pinpoint him, it was because he was like that. The best way to find him was just to ask, most students or teachers would point her in the right direction. She had almost walked right past him if she had not caught sight of him out of the corner of her eye in an office quietly going over paperwork and instructing a purple haired Raptrin. She stopped and watched for a bit since she had never seen him just being himself or doing his job. She watched their interactions and body language to gauge what sort of people they were. The boy seemed determined but uncertain, her new step dad on the other hand was confident and not a single action wasted. The other thing she realized that she didn't understand a word they were saying.
Nazan finished showing Rowain the last of the regular daily paperwork when he briefly looked up at the door to see Summer there. "How long had you been waiting there Summer?"
Summer blinked as she realized he had switched languages to something she understood. "A little while, since I can't use my magic I figured I'd watch you to see what sort of person you are."
Nazan smiled. "That's a good way of thinking, you really do take after your father."
“I do?” Summer asked.
Nazan nodded as he motioned for her to come into the room. “Yes, you do.” He noticed the strange look on her face. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m not sure about the different language that is being spoken here?” Summer said.
Rowain chuckled. “She doesn’t know the Dove tongue very well. She’s going to be hurting in space, if you plan on sending her there to learn her magics, Nazan,”
"Actually Rowain, she would learn Suscan. Intergalactic trade had made it the language of commerce, the Dove language is region specific. You forget that despite how strict Lord Collin can be he still made learning the Suscan language mandatory as a second language in our schools."
Rowain nodded. “True, I’ll check the class list to see if the teacher can handle one more addition to her Suscan language class for Summer to learn it since it could be months before Kala is awakened from her sleep and her hallucinations are over with.”
"Good, while you’re doing that I think I will take my little girl out for a bite to eat and to get some things she needs. While my mother’s old clothes do the job, I'm certain you would like those of your own, Summer?"
“Yes, I would love to have my own clothing, dad.” Summer stated.
Nazan smiled. "Call me papa-rok but please not dad, your dad will always be Filger." Nazan said, warmly as he got up from his desk. "Your dad was a close friend and I have no intentions of replacing him. Dalia, you can do without though."
“Who is she?” Summer said, which got a smile from Rowain.
“Looks like you have officially dumped your birth mother, not that I doubt you, I would have myself, she couldn’t really hold onto any drake and the drake had to have been drunk to mate with her,” Rowain replied.
Nazan glared at him. “Even though Delia is known to cheat on her husbands, and yes, she did cheat on my best friend, after you were born, Summer, she got what she deserves now – loneliness and her status.”
"So papa-rok, where are we going to be to eating at?"
"There is a Suscan bistro near the port, then we'll see what is for sale at the bazaar in the port zone, and finish up at the Keltor mall for anything the bazaar does not have."
“Alright,” Summer said, she turned to look at Rowain. “Have fun doing the paperwork, Rowain.”
Rowain rolled his eyes. “I’ll have it done before you two get back,”
“I hope so, or you’ll be in for it when we get back,” Summer chimed in a sing-song voice.
“Now, Summer, that’s not very nice, but you are right, you better get them done before we get back, Rowain.” Nazan stated, as they left the grounds for the bistro.
Rowain turned to look at the paperwork and got down to work on it so it would be finished before they get back.
It didn’t take them long to get to the bistro, it was there that Nazan started to teach Summer some Suscan words and how they were pronounced. He informed her that he’ll be enrolling her in the Raven’s Court Suscan language course so she could learn the tongue that would be most likely spoken in space. That was when Summer asked about the magic guild and that she wanted to learn there.
Nazan grinned. "I expected as much from you, Summer, and it is a good choice and the best place to when you are older to find a suitable match for yourself."
"What do you mean suitable match?"
"I honestly can't see you settling for a common Puckworldian after studying at a guild, you will meet so many different races that you will see how silly most of this planet is."
"Did you ever find someone off world?"
"I've been married twice Summer. My first wife died in childbirth due to complications. Her name was Oksana Heldi, she was a Saurian, our daughter was to be Nami but she died hours after birth, she had a tumor in her brain which killed her hours later." Nazan said his tone a bit sad. "My second wife was a political match and one I've been quite happily divorced from, though that bitter old bird still leaves her mark."
“How so, papa-rok?” Summer asked.
"She didn't like that match and hated my guts, but the terms of the divorce meant that I have a chip implanted in me so that when she dies it takes me with her whether I want to or not."
“How cruel!” Summer cried out, as her hand reached out for her adoptive father’s free hand.
"It is but I can live with it, I'm the one who demanded the divorce so she had the right to set the terms and most political matches that end in political divorces are never nice."
“What if she was the one who demanded it first? Would you suffer her a death chip in her as well?” Summer asked.
Nazan shook his head. “No, as much as I disliked her, I am not that cruel, I would basically make her pay me coins for the rest of her life, even if she got married again, she would still pay me.”
"Then why the death chip?"
"Why the political match? She was a commanding dragon of the Ti-Markay empire’s ebon dragons, their most feared military force. I'm a Crimson Dove, the only person allowed to directly challenge the ruling Black Dove. My orders carry the same weight as his. The political match was part of a renewed peace treaty between the empire and the Dove nation. My wanting a divorce is also like a prelude to a declaration of war. The chip was her way of keeping the binding of the truce without having to hold to the marriage."
“She cheated on you, the third week into your marriage, she cheated with another ebon dragon, one who really owned her heart,” Summer stated.
Nazan looked at her carefully and noticed that she got that glazed look at her father had once in a while, but he was never really able to figure out the images he had seen. “I actually wondered about that for quite some time, Summer. She most likely did as we rarely if ever have sex, only when she wanted it and the first night of our marriage.”
"So you had a right to it without her doing what she did."
"You’re thinking small Summer, lovers were allowed in the marriage contact. That marriage made me feel more like a hostage and it was something I really could not stand, if it was just her personality I could probably have found my own lover and lived with it."
“But you divorced her anyways?” Summer asked.
“Yes, but lets get off that topic, the sour bird sours everything when I talk about her.” Nazan stated. “So what type of clothing do you want to get when we get to port?”
“I’m not sure, I was always told to wear dresses when I was at home,” Summer replied.
"A dress is nice, but I wonder how practical it really is."
“Not really sure, but I would rather have pants on than a dress, that’s why I picked grandma’s pants from the clothing you brought from the attic,” Summer replied.
"I think you will like Suscan girls’ fashion over what we'd find in the Keltor mall, Suscan fashion tends to be more on the practical side."
“Lets go then,” Summer chirped.
Nazan smiled and paid for their meal, then took Summer to the Suscan bazaars. Summer looked around with wide eyes; it wasn't like the malls, but an open area with lots of impromptu shop spaces, shops that looked like what was once probably really small cargo ships.
Summer looked at Nazan. “Papa-Rok, I’m not even sure where to start looking.”
"We have time, look and take it in, if you’re going to study at a guild you’re going to have to get use to marketplaces like this, Suscan are major backbones of many economies. And for Puckworld, they provide up to 60% of the Puckworld food supply, or as they refer to this world, Orithia."
Summer started to go to each store and look at their wares before marking it down on her pad before heading off to another store, marking it’s name and what the wares was, before entering a tailor’s store and looking at the fabrics that was there. She looked at Nazan. “Papa-Rok, you don’t mind me getting my clothes tailored to me or would it be better if we got them pre-made?”
"Tailored would be preferred, but no cutting your hair, long hair is an indicator of status in space."
“I have no intentions on cutting my hair, but I would like it styled though,” Summer stated, as she ran her hands over some bolts. “But that will happen after I get my new clothes.”
The tailor came out and saw Nazan with a young girl. “My Lord Rokfeather, nice to see you, what are you looking for today?”
"My little girl is looking today; this is her first time to the bazaar."
The tailor smiled as he looked at Summer. “Look at everything and if you have any questions about the fabric itself, let me or my assistant know and we will answer it for you.” He turned to Nazan. “You got lucky again with a girl from your latest marriage, Nazan?”
“Well, she’s what I had always wanted, but she takes after her mother more than me with her red hair,” Nazan replied, not wanting to correct him, let him spread the word to the other merchants and the gossip will get to his old bird and that will just piss her off, knowing that he was happily with another and had a girl in his life unlike her, she birthed boys.
"So you still holding your bachelor name?" asked the merchant.
"This marriage is unofficial, but Summer is my child and heir to the Rokfeather house."
The Suscan merchant smiled knowingly. "You’re playing a strong loophole there, not unheard of and it would be bad if Rokfeather were to end with you. The lady must be gracious then if she let you take rights to make sure your house continues. So who's the lady?"
"Dalia Beaufinch, you’re won’t get her to admit to having Summer but she's her mother, unfortunately for an Orithian hen she needs a son to keep Beaufinch alive."
"You’re not going to give her one?"
"My misfortune with her is girls, which is why we can't have an official match and for Orithians, they need a male for their houses to continue."
The Suscan merchant whistled. "You can't win can you, Lord Rokfeather."
"Seems that way, though I don't mind paying the dowry for a male, that can win her heart and give her a son. Though Dalia tends to worry too much about her position in Orithian high society."
The merchant nodded. "I'll pass the word around to some of the small fleet leaders, if they have a son the need to find a match for and the conditions behind it."
Nazan smiled. "Thank you."
Summer watched how the merchant headed back to his backroom. “Papa-Rok, are you trying to hook my mom with a Suscan?”
Nazan smiled. “Maybe, now what do you like?”
Summer went to a bolt of bright colors and one of them was a bright crimson color. “This one I like.”
Nazan took some of the fabric out and laid it across her chest, he bit his lower bill as he looked at how the color looked on her feathers. “Maybe but I think a different color might be best, we can use this as a border on the edges.”
Nazan picked up a bolt of iridescent teal shot with some purple and held it to Summer’s feathers. "How is this?"
Summer looked at it and saw how it complimented her feather color. She looked up to her dad. “I like it.”
Nazan smiled as he turned to the assistant and nodded. “My daughter will have this bolt in a shirt and pants with the edging with the crimson bolt.”
"Orithian cuts, Dove cuts or Suscan cuts?"
"Suscan cut, practical but with some of the known Rokfeather flare."
“Okay, now we need to get your daughter’s sized up so it will fit her properly.” The tailor stated, as he jotted down what Nazan had stated. He turned to his assistant and said a few things in Suscan before the assistant took hold of the bolts and carried them into the back of the shop. “This way to the sizing room,”
Summer glanced at Nazan. “Its okay, Summer, its normal.” As he escorted her with the tailor to where the sizing room was located at.
Summer stepped into the room and was asked to disrobe of her clothing as a female tailor stepped into the room and allowed the male tailor to step out with Nazan. Summer heard the tailor ask him if there was problems with his daughter around males.
Nazan calmly explained that she had recently been attacked by a couple White Guards and she was leery for the time being.
“Wish someone would just assassinate them all,” the tailor stated. “I had friends who are pilgrims come to stay for a few days and the White Guards saw their son using magic on one of his toys and tried to take their son from them.”
"The Seabirds have been looking into it, seems the White Guards tried taking one of their investments."
“I heard rumors from other merchants that they were calling in some favors from their allies,” the tailor stated. “I hope the Seabirds are able to knock them down a peg or two,”
"Just a peg or two?" Nazan laughed. "Well as it stands they have messed with a Seabird investment which ties to a Dove one, and have assaulted a Pillar of Magic which has earned them some nasty kickback from the guild."
“A Pillar of Magic, a living one or just an honorary one?”
"A living one, from the same bloodline to boot, they have assaulted Virtue, and have thus earned the honorary Wisdom’s wrath."
“May his wrath be as nasty as he can do on them, but they deserve it if they assaulted Virtue.” The tailor replied. “Was it a drake?”
Nazan shook his head. “A hen, by the name of Kaladan Thunderbeak,”
“Wasn’t that the hen’s name the one that was kidnapped from her Necromancer escorts?” he asked.
Nazan raised an eyebrow. “I never took you to listening to this planet’s news reports.”
“Well, it would be bad for business if I didn’t know what is going on, on the planet’s that I go to every few weeks.”
“Well, it was the hen that the Necromancers were escorting. Sadly, her escorts were killed by them. But they unintentionally made themselves the bad guys by doing that,” Nazan smirked.
“So how did they assault her, wouldn’t she have fought them off?” The tailor asked.
“From what I know they used a restraining collar on her to capture her and then assaulted her several times before Wisdom found her,” Nazan replied.
The tailor shook his head. “I hope that he gave them something to think about before he left,” he glanced towards the dressing room to see his wife who was also a tailor come from the room. “My wife got the size down and it shouldn’t be any longer than an hour before the clothing is done for your daughter, Nazan. You may have to fight the drakes to stay away from her when she’s clothed in the clothes we make for her.”
"I'm not too worried about that, it will be Summer’s choice on who she wants as a mate."
"You’re not going to let it be to whomever gives her a daughter?"
Nazan shook his head. "She can have who she wants, but only a daughter will inherit Rokfeather."
“So, what is she interested in, in a mate?” The tailor asked. “I might have a sister who has a son who would like to have your daughter as a wife,”
"Right now I think she is still a bit young to decide, let her train first and get her bearing for life in space."
"But she looks to be already about eight years of age, usually there is a marriage contract set by the age of five for most children of prominent houses."
“She is eight, but I would rather have her pick who her mate is. I love my little treasure, if she finds a mate who is worthy of her heart, her trust and her love, I will give her my blessing and pay the dowry for the male,” Nazan stated, as he watched Summer walking towards them.
Summer smiled, she had overheard the conversation that papa-rok and the merchant had but she decided to keep it to herself. She looked at her papa-rok, she turned her attention to the tailor. “How long will the clothing be before they are to be worn?”
“It should be about an hour before it is done, Lady Rokfeather,” the tailor stated. “But if we rush it, we may make an error in it,”
Summer nodded. "Give me a chance to look around."
"Your papa should take you to the gull section of the bazaar; you will be able to get away from the Orithians there. Since that is where you can see the other rim world merchants."
Summer turned to look at her adopted dad. “Can we, papa-rok?”
"Sure, you might want to get a couple other outfits in that section as well."
She nodded as Nazan told the tailor that they will return in one hour and they headed off to see more of the bazaar. The tailor watched as they walked away as his wife came to his side. “So the famous bachelor Nazan has taken a wife and has a daughter?”
The merchant nodded, “She's not an official wife because then his line would die out."
His wife spoke. “So will his daughter take on his name?”
“From what he said, she will,” The tailor replied, as he looked towards the crowd to see where Nazan and his daughter were at to find them long gone into the other sections. “And I pray to the Pillars that she will find a good mate to be with and that she has many daughters by him.”
“May they hear your prayers and make it so,” She replied, before heading back into the back and getting to work on the clothes that the young lady ordered.
~~~~~~~
Nazan watched as Summer looked at a weapon merchant’s wares. She looked at him. “Will I be having a weapon in the magic guild, papa-rok?”
"No, but then again it is bad form for a girl to be unarmed but whichever you choose you will need to train on how to use it."
Summer looked at the swords, looked at the weapons merchant and asked if she may pick the sword up. The weapons merchant nodded as she picked the sword up and looked at it before placing it back down and looking at another weapon, this time a throwing disk with sharp edges around it.
“That one, you are holding is the advanced weapon of the Paloma clan, they wield the throwing disk with ease. Only the advanced student can wield that without injuring themselves. Perhaps if I know your mother’s last name, I will see what weapons would suit you the best.” The weapons merchant asked.
“My father’s last name is Rokfeather, he did not take on my mother’s last name as he has no sisters to take the name, I will be taking the name.” Summer stated.
The merchant pondered. "That is a tough one, Rokfeather is known to be cunning yet flexible and precise." the merchant went to what seemed an almost an insignificant display and picked up to items. One was regular whip and the other looked like just a handle. He placed them before Summer. "A whip would suit you best. The regular one is for training." he said, then activated the handle which much to Summer’s surprise was what seemed to be an energy whip. "This one is once you've got the hang of it."
Summer looked at the energy whip and then to Nazan. “Papa-rok, do you use something like that?”
"When I was younger, my mother started teaching me it, but never got the chance to master it."
“So you never mastered it?” Summer asked. Nazan shook his head. Summer smiled. “Now you will, papa-rok, because you’re going to learn with me and I will not take no for an answer either.”
The weapon merchant looked at him. “She got you there, Nazan.”
Nazan looked at her. “Okay, I guess I will master it.”
Summer looked at the weapon merchant. “We will take them both.”
"On your account Nazan?" "Yes, also did you manage to get in my last order?"
“Yes, I do. I had to expedite the order over the others so I could get them here now. I personally etched them with the Dove emblem of the Flashblade house on it. Did he find the lost house?” the weapons merchant asked.
"You could say it found him." Nazan said before the merchant went to the back and brought out a black metal case. Nazan opened the case when the merchant set it before him, Summer’s eyes went wide, they were a set of jet black daggers the only color in them being the crest on the hilt. Nazan picked one up and felt the weight and the sharpness and smiled. "Nicely balanced, lightweight and nicely sharpened,"
The merchant beamed. "Would you expect anything less from carbon flint?"
"No but how'd you managed to get them? It's Drak grade something they do not export."
"I had to do the weapons smith a favor, not one I minded but he made them in exchange."
"What favor did you have to do?"
"For someone so keep on getting your feathers on them you seemed concerned about the means."
"I want to know what karmatic weight these carry with them."
"Her name is Temari, a black scale. The favor was to find her a safe place to grow up and make her fate. It was not a hard favor, she's with a saurian couple who had recently given birth to a stillborn child. They welcomed her without hesitation. There is no bad karma to them, just a father’s wish for the best for his child."
"Good, the young Flashblade is sensitive still where a weapon’s karma could make him loose himself."
Summer listened puzzled a bit, she could not understand why a person could be influenced by a weapon by the circumstances it was made by. "Papa-rok, how can a weapon mold a person by how it came to be?"
Nazan patted her on the head. "Remembers that boy who came to your rescue, the blond one?"
Summer nodded "I do, he was concerned."
"He is being trained as an assassin and is a natural channel, right now his weapons will have an influence on him. If they came about by hate, betrayal, or cold blooded killing or even suffering, then they will say it is alright to do such things with them, people mean nothing, which is bad, when you start to see people as things you stop having the ability to care for anything,"
Summer nodded. "So because these are made with a father’s love and hopes for his child, then they should only be used to protect what is important to the wielder, right papa-rok?"
Nazan nodded. "That is exactly right, Summer."
Summer smiled, she was learning more about the weapons that she might come across in her time in space. She asked if she could hold it so she could sense the spirit within the blade itself. Nazan nodded as he placed the dagger in her open hand. He watched as she closed her eyes and concentrated on it. About five minutes later, she opened them. “The spirit within the daggers is one of love for a child. It is a good spirit, a gentle spirit. It will do him well.”
Nazan took the dagger back and placed it back in its carrying case. “That is good. Now, we should get your weapons in their proper case and go look at more stuff before returning to the tailor to get your new clothes.”
Summer nodded and picked out a case from the merchant’s selection. Nazan put them on his account and the merchant showed her how to pack them in so not to damage her weapons. Afterwards, they went back out into the bazaar and into the gull section which to Summer’s surprise was well guarded to keep unwanted people out. Nazan waved to one of the guards and showed his authorization and informed them that she was his daughter which allowed them both through.
Summer was stunned at the change for it went from Suscan merchants to races she had not seen before and those like Tensu. She took hold of papa-rok’s hand, though she didn’t want to hide behind him as she was a bit scared, some of the Saurians looked absolutely scary.
Nazan smiled. "Nothing to be worried about, you will see plenty of people like this when studying at the guild."
“Some of them look absolutely scary, papa-rok,” Summer whispered.
Nazan smiled as he kissed the top of her head. “They may look scary as long as they are treated with respect, you will have nothing to worry about,”
Summer nodded and let Nazan take her to the different shops, she took not that most females that did not have scales wore very little, but the scaled ones wore more practical styles, they even managed to do dresses that were easy to move in with knee length split skirts and good thigh high boots.
"Papa-rok, can I have a dress like that?" she said pointing to a Saurian lady wearing a light blue dress that contrasted her dark brown scales, it had scooped collar and three quarter length sleeves, the skirt went down to the knees but there was a set of side slits to keep maneuverability and she wore a set of thigh high white boots with it.
Nazan turned to look at the dress she was pointing off to see what she was interested in. “I think that dress will have to come when you are eighteen years old, that’s a bit of an adult styled dress.”
Summer sulked a little but it was nice that he was concerned about her and didn't want her to do things that could get her unwanted attention. She looked at how all the ladies were dressed. “Papa-rok, is there a dress code in space? Some of the women here are dressed differently than the ones in the other part of the space port?”
"There is a cultural difference, most rim worlds are female dominant, but the females wear next to nothing because cloth is considered to be used when enticing a member of the opposite gender. To a rim worlder a fully clothed female is looking for a night with a male. Saurians are more equal in how they see gender, but females are expected to be strong if not stronger then males and just as practical. Suscans are also female dominant, but not as extreme as rim worlders. Suscans have a preference for clothes that can work like a light armor because you never know what sort of raiders you will face. Also because they visit worlds of so many climates that being clothed is also very practical."
Summer nodded as they continued to walk. “So where does that leave me in this strange world?”
"People will treat you like a Suscan girl, which means you will be expected to be self reliant, and not need a male to support you."
“So in a way, it is like how I have been handling myself for the past three years?” asked Summer.
"In a way, except more respect, as my daughter you are also head of the Rokfeather merchant group. A merchant group is a regulator for trade on a given port or station. Our’s is in control of the Thalmin station in the far orbit of our worlds solar system. Trade fleets which transport good keep contracts and treaties with trade groups to keep the flow of goods going. But also the trade group makes sure to keep trade prices fair."
“So, I have a lot to learn before I go into space then,” Summer said.
"You have a lot to learn while in space as well, Lola will be a good bit of help to you if she is willing to teach."
“I’ll ask her when we’re sitting with Kala again,” Summer replied, as they walked looking at the stores before continuing to browse.
“How is Kala coming along? Is there any sign of her coming out of her state that she’s in?” Nazan asked.
Summer shook her head. “It is unknown when she will awaken without trying to kill anyone, but for the two males who are with her currently.”
Nazan nodded. "From what I understand what protects those two from her is a deep bond of trust. Something only achieved through surrendering yourself to the other of your own freewill and them doing the same. They can not hide anything from one another, nor can they lie or harm each other."
“Like a married couple?”
"Deeper then that, and stronger."
“I will ask them when I get back to Raven’s Court for more insight on it,” Summer replied, as they kept walking till they got to the end of the gull section.
Nazan led Summer back to the tailor’s shop just as her clothing was brought out from the back and hung on a rack. “Is her clothing ready?”
“Ah, yes, I just placed it on the rack,” The tailor stated. “Will she be wearing them home?”
Nazan turned to look at Summer as he was not sure if she was going to go home with them on her or not. She smiled and spoke, “Yes, I will be wearing them when we leave,”
Nazan waited as Summer changed into her new outfit and came out for him to see. He smiled as she stood there, she looked good and more like a child from his father’s house. If she were a few years older she'd be beating off suitors in space. “How do they fit, Summer?”
“They fit perfectly, papa-rok,” Summer chirped, as she smiled towards him. She turned to look at the tailor. “I will be wearing this set of clothes home, please box up the clothes that I wore here with my other set, thank you.”
The tailor nodded as he collected the clothes that was folded up in the dressing room and brought them to the counter as his wife placed them in a box and folded the new clothes into another box before tying them together into one bundle.
When it was done and Nazan paid for the clothes, Summer and he walked out of the shop and headed for home.
When they got back to Raven’s Court, Nazan showed her to his room. "You can rest here, I'll rest while you are on watch. Unfortunately the guest rooms’ are occupied and dorms are full."
“Thanks papa-rok,” Summer said, as she started to untie her boxes to get them into the dresser drawers or hanging up on a hanger in his closet till she had to leave for space.
Nazan headed out of his room to see where Lola was so he could show her the daggers he got for Dive.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rowain was watching the council rank students in the practice room where Dive was practicing with the dagger that he was given with the other students. He glanced off to the side to see Nazan walking up. “He’s improving greatly with the daggers, but the Flashblades are more a sword family than a dagger family.”
Nazan nodded. “In time, he will find his true sword and it will call for him through the ages.”
"Are you certain of that, Nazan?"
"Positive, though I believe Nosedive can adapt to any blade given the right training. For now daggers will suit him better since he is still a bit young to be able to wield a sword properly."
“Very well, so did you get him anything special?” Rowain asked, eyeing the case he was holding in his hand.
"A set of carbon flint daggers, he should be able to keep them concealed and take them where ever he goes."
Rowain raised a brow. "Quite an investment in the kid."
"Lola is going to need him as much as you, but also so he can protect those close to him."
“When and if there is danger coming to himself or that he’s trying to protect someone. His mother can be mighty strong in the protection of her family,” Rowain stated.
“He will be able to help her, with that.” Nazan replied, with a grin on his bill.
“So the hen you brought in is going to be taking on your last name in space?”
Nazan nodded. "It's not a Dove name, but it would hurt some trade deals if I had no heir."
Rowain raised a brow. "What about your mother’s line?"
"You mean the Skyhawks? I have plenty of cousins, so there was never anything to worry about for that which is why I was given my father’s name."
"I know I've never asked but what about your four children from that arranged match?"
"They’re not mine, they have no Dove blood. Lord Collin or any other Dove can confirm that despite the Ti-Markay records. Even with how diluted over countless generations for the Flashblades Dive still has it, he proved that back in Dublin whether he realized it or not. He's also an almost spitting image of Asp, the only difference is gender."
“You mean he could be her successor?” Rowain asked.
“Yes, he could most likely be the one who will bring the Dove line of the Flashblade back from the dead.” Nazan stated. “I will train him to think like the Dove line if it has not already risen within him.”
“I think it already has, Nazan.” Rowain stated in a low whisper.
Nazan turned to look at him to see him staring into the workout room. He followed his gaze to see Dive taking on three older students at once and he was calm, very collected in his moves it was like the stories that his old teachers had told of the Flashblades and how they moved with a calm grace about them. “I believe you are right. He is the long lost Dove Flashblade that we have been searching for. He has returned.”
Rowain turned to look at Nazan. “Only when Lola summons him to claim his proper title as Lord Flashblade of the Doves, will he be truly one of the Doves.”
"Well aware, we were both there when he told that to Lord Collin."
Rowain nodded. “But he will never see that day, as he will be dead by that time.”
"But you and Lola will, I hope to see it myself."
Rowain clasped Nazan’s shoulder with his right hand. “You will, my friend. You will see that day.”
Nazan half smiled and watched Dive till the lessons were over, he was glad that once Nosedive had been put in the council rank classes, his marks improved as did his skills, and Tensu had been a good friend for him to have. “I think I will take Dive for a walk and present him with his new daggers.”
“Very well, I need to get back to the office and continue with the paperwork, even though I really should be studying my own lessons,” Rowain stated.
“Mix them both with each other, some office work and some lessons. Never let your schooling go to the wayside, Rowain, you may never know when you need to recall something from your lessons to help with a problem later on.” Nazan said, before striding into the workout room calling for Dive to come to his side.
Dive grinned and made his way over to Nazan. "I know I haven't gotten into any trouble, is mom worried about me?" Dive asked.
"No, I was hoping you'd take a walk with me and I’ve need of a personal progress report, it's been a bit over a month since you came to this school, and with the temple incident I'd like to hear your thoughts."
“Well, the more I thought about the temple incident and how calm I handled slitting the dying Ancients’ throats. It was a bit unnerving but then I realized that I was doing them a favor by ending their suffering as they were suffering slowly bleeding to death. Is that normal, Nazan, to be this calm after killing someone?” Dive asked.
"That is a doubled edged question," Nazan said as he led Dive to the roof of the school. "What do you think is the right answer? And do you think there is a wrong one?"
Dive looked at him and then to the skyline of the city. “I am not really sure if either was right or wrong. I didn’t want to see them suffering like that, even though they kidnapped my brother’s mate to be, I didn’t want them to suffer.”
"Do you think it was the right thing to do at the time? Or do you have doubts about it now?"
"It was the right thing to do at the time, in that I don't have any doubts. They would have died within the day; I just made it less painful."
"Could you take a life if someone paid you enough?"
Dive shook his head. "No, money should not be what makes me decide to do so or not."
"If Lola asked you and out of formality paid the contract price?"
Dive bit the lower part of his bill, Nazan was asking some strange questions but then again it was something that should be asked. When Dive had asked Tensu if taking the lives was right or wrong, Tensu had answered that it made no difference as a living weapon if the Black Dove or Crimson Dove gave the order then he had no choice but to do so. Nazan had told him to help Dive so it would be better to ask Nazan if it was right or wrong. Dive stared at the skyline weighing what he had been taught before Raven’s Court and what he had learned in Raven’s Court. "I could not do so for anyone, but for those I know I can trust then yes I could. I trust Lola so I could take a life if she asked it of me."
“When you got a contract, consider it heavily before you make a decision on whether or not you shall take it, that’s what I do beyond being a Crimson Dove, I am also an assassin and I pick which ones I think will be to my best interest in the end,” Nazan stated.
Nosedive nodded. "So it is wrong just to take a life for money and nothing else."
Nazan smiled. "Correct, once you start seeing people as objects, is when you have fallen and become something evil, you must take a life but understand that every contract involves a person and you have to be able to live with your choice in taking the contract."
Nosedive nodded silently. Nazan was giving him good information and he knew his stuff. Nosedive turned to look at him. “Teach me, train me in the ways of an assassin, so I may know how to off myself when I get to that point that I only see people as mere objects and nothing more. I do not want to kill without just cause, Nazan.”
“Are you sure you wish to learn how to be an assassin, Nosedive Flashblade?” Nazan asked. “Once you decide, it will be what you are for the rest of your lifetime. I will give you till tomorrow morning to decide.”
With that said, Nazan stood up and walked away from him leaving him on the roof to think over what his decision would be. Nazan glanced at the dagger case he held in his hand. ‘I will give this to him when he decides what he will become,’ as he strode down to the main floor to see Lola and Summer standing there. He smiled at his adopted daughter and Lola. “Nosedive is going to be thinking about something so he might not come down for a bit. So what have you two been discussing?”
“Merchant stuff,” Summer stated. “I asked her to help me speed up my learning of my responsibilities to my new family’s name.”
"Don't try to take everything in too fast, Lola has a couple decades on you. But the Seabirds run a large trade fleet, they also are the trade group in charge of Keltor port."
Summer turned to look at Lola. “Your family is in charge of the Keltor port?”
Lola nodded. "It makes getting good through to this planet easier, also because of our trade relations it brings other merchants to the port."
“So your people are bringing everything basically to this planet and opening it to the other merchants,” Summer stated.
“Yes, even though most of the merchants will only bring their second grade wares here, this planet is not even back on the galactic level since the time of the Vendetta,” Lola replied. “But we’re trying to get them to bring their best stuff here, it takes some haggling to get them to bring their top stuff but they do only if it is requested by someone here.”
“To be honest most regular people on this planet would not be able to tell the difference, I think Raptrins and Suscans on the other hand do."
“Not many non-Suscans or Raptrins could see that,” Lola replied. She turned to look at Nazan before back to Summer. “Maybe you are more of a merchant than I had first assumed, Summer.”
“I could tell some of the stuff were not what I had seen in the regular shops here unlike what I saw there. Up there the stuff in the gull section were by far the quality is way better than what we could get down here for cheaper,” Summer stated.
Lola nodded. "Part of the problem is Puckworld currency has almost no value in space, so unless you can do trade with the Suscan Styl or the Dove Mira, you are paying for goods in nothing but very small change. My family keeps an exchange at that port because there is need to switch it back and forth. It’s still 250 Puckworld credits to a Suscan Styl, the Styl and Mira trade on par." Lola said conversationally as Tristan and Julius came out of the room where they had been watching Kala.
Nazan looked at them. “How is she doing?”
"Making some progress, she's not waking up and ready to kill, but she's still edgy."
“Is there a chance that maybe having females stay with her for longer times than just a twelve hours on and twelve hours off, she might feel better knowing that a female is there and not males,” Summer said.
“Maybe but shouldn’t our bond with her be better to be with her longer than have more time with females in the room?” asked Tristan.
"They have a point but still the break from being so close also forces her mind to face things instead of hide. We should continue with the rotation as it is," Lola said as she entered the room and took her seat near Kala.
Summer took her seat and started to talk to Kala. She opened herself up to her to allow her to feel what Summer felt and then the shock as the two Ancients who were about to rape her were pulled apart and the relief that came from not being violated twice that day.
Outside of the room, Tristan and Julius were talking with Nazan when Rowain came walking up to them. “Has Lola entered the room already?”
Julius nodded. “She and Summer both have.” He cocked his head like he was listening to something as was Tristan. He looked at Tristan. “I think the murderous feel that we’ve been getting from Kala is either gone or that she . . .,” he lunged for the door and pulled it open to see Kala with her arms around Summer and was wake before she slipped back against the bed and went into sleep again.
Lola was standing there watching with guarded pose, ready to spring into action if needed. “I don’t get it, how did she fully awake to hug you, Summer and slip back to sleep?”
“I don’t know, maybe she saw what I was putting out for her to see and woke to hug me and slipped back to sleep,” Summer replied. She too, was puzzled by the whole thing.
Lola looked at the two males. "Remember they went though the same little hell, Summer might not have been in the collar but her memories helped Kala put the pieces together, the understanding that there is no way they can cone after her again, not with the mess you made Tristan."
"True, though what Summer witnessed was not per say the best either. Though they did answer the questions of why no one came to rescue her. Summer’s memories are of what happened during her rescue." Tristan closed his eyes and scanned Kala's mind to find the rage had subsided completely. It was trying to put the memories of the four together. Tristan wished Kala was able to see Lola’s mind, many of the connecting pieces were probably there. "She should be safe to allow around her family now, her mind is no longer ready to kill any drake that comes near her."
Lola wasn’t really ready to have the chance that Kala would try to kill Canard again, called her cousin Rowain into the room. Rowain stood by Lola’s side for several minutes as Kala didn’t stir from her sleep to lunge at him. Lola let the breath she held go. “Thank you, cousin, the test is over as Kala is not in a murderous state anymore.”
“That is good to know. Maybe Canard can visit her more often,” Rowain stated.
"You think he will when she almost killed him the last time?"
"He's got more nerve then you give him credit for cousin."
"I personally think it would be a good idea," Tristan said. "She needs contact with her family as well, right now every mind she has contact with will help her sort herself out, and also let her know that her family cares."
“They never stopped caring for her,” Nazan said. “I had to keep Canard from coming here every afternoon after school. He begged me to let him see her, even after the attack he never stopped caring for her.”
"Then next time he comes let him see her, I'll stand guard just to be safe." Julius said calmly.
Nazan glanced at the clock and smiled. “He should be at the gate right now. I’ll go get him.” And with that said, he walked out of the room.
"Looks like we get some spare time Summer, let's head to the library and I'll give you a quick lesson in trade mechanics." Lola said putting a hand on Summer’s shoulder.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nazan grinned as he got to the gate, Canard was there like clockwork. Canard’s hopeful look of trying to get in turned to dread, Nazan always turned him away citing that it was not safe for him to be near his sister. Nazan watched as he walked to the gate, just as Canard was about to open his bill. “Want to come in and see your sister?”
Canard gave him an odd look. "You’re not going to turn me away?"
"Not this time, it's been confirmed that she won’t attack people when close to her now."
“So has she awakened?” Canard asked, as he walked through the gate to Nazan’s side.
“Not fully, but she did for a moment to give another hen a hug before falling back asleep,” Nazan stated, as they walked into Raven’s Court and towards the guest chamber where Kala was located at.
“What do you mean another hen?” Canard asked.
“It seemed that Kala was not the only hen to be in their grasp, another hen was about to be violated by those sick bastards when they were killed. This afternoon, she opened herself up fully to your sister and allowed her to see and feel what had happened. It awakened her long enough for her to hug the hen and fall back asleep, it was Tristan who detected the lack of murderous anger from her and we tested it with Rowain Ringdove entering the room and Kala did not stir to kill him like she had done with you. That is when we learned that she had learned that the Ancients are no longer able to claim her like they did before,” Nazan stated, as he opened the guest room’s door and walked within to see Julius and Tristan sitting by Kala’s side with her still sound asleep. “Kala’s brother is here to see her.”
"Let him in, Kala is asleep but his company is welcome." Julius stood up and stepped back but he was ever close in case she awakened and had fooled them, but a glance to Tristan told him that she wouldn’t be able to fool him.
Canard entered the room slowly; it felt odd to him having the other two around. "It's alright child, we don't bite," Tristan said with a big toothy grin.
“Are you sure about that, Tristan?” asked Julius with a grin.
Tristan smiled, as he looked at Julius and then to Canard. “Please do not take my show of teeth as a threat to you, child. I will not do you any harm, unless you harm me or my bonded.”
Canard looked at him. “Your bonded?”
"Your sister, Pillars are bonded, we can hide nothing from one another."
Canard looked at them like what are you talking about. Julius noticed the look. “Your sister is more than just a normal magical hen, Canard, she’s the sole incarnation of the Pillar of Virtue, one of the founding members of the Necromancers.”
“My sister is a Necromancer?” Canard asked.
"Thunderbeaks have always been if they have magic, it's the Nightshade blood that still runs weakly though them."
“What do you mean Nightshade blood?” Canard asked.
“Long time ago, your ancestor mated with a Nightshade of Limbo and begat your family line, each generation the blood weakens but ever present in your bloodline,” Tristan stated.
"But that was a very longtime ago, it shouldn't matter now."
"It still matters, even if it is small things like it can make the difference between someone going mad and keeping their sanity. In this case, Canard it is probably what protected your sister from brain damage from the collar."
"I guess you have a point." he said reluctantly as he walked closer to his sister and sat beside her. She looked as if she was just sleeping, he was glad that most of her other injuries were now gone. He took Kala’s hand and held it between his. "I hope you are getting well Kala, me, mom, and dad miss you." He kissed his sister’s hand and whispered. “Even Wing has asked me how you are doing, I have to tell him that you are healing from a severe attack on your mind due to what the Ancients did to you. He misses you dearly and he sends healing thoughts your way to speed up your healing.”
Kala moaned in her sleep, which got Julius and Tristan lunging forth towards Canard to yank him away incase she woke to kill, but she stayed asleep. They looked at each other and wondered what caused her to moan out, was it the mention of her mate to be’s name or something else?
Canard looked up to the two. "Are you still on edge, I thought she was safe to be around."
"We are being over cautious; it would not go over well if she harmed her family."
Canard nodded as he understood that they were being cautious about anything that she did at the moment. “I think she is reacting to her mate to be’s name. His full name is Wildwing, but we call him Wing.”
Julius looked at Tristan. “It might be her fear of would he want her after she had been the sex toy of the Ancients?”
Tristan raised a brow. "I think it is more does she feels more comfortable being with him after all that has happened. Her own fears of intimate contact,"
“When she fully wakes, we should ask her,” Julius stated in Saurian.
“You think she will be open to having intimate contacts with us?” Tristan asked.
"For the bond intimate contact is normal, you know she still has trauma if she can not handle it." Julius replied in Saurian, neither of them wanted Canard to understand the conversation.
“That will be her challenge to see if she can handle mating with us both at the same time, if she can forget what pain she went through and feel our love for her as she is mated by us, and love being intimate, it will be her turning point.” Tristan said.
Julius nodded. "It may be a while; I don't want to do anything till she had healed physically as well."
“When she is awake more than sleeping every minute of the day, we’ll have Tarisn examine her again to see if her injuries done to her inner folds have healed and if she’s able to have intimacy again,” Tristan stated.
Julius nodded before he turned to Canard who was focusing on Kala instead of them. “I’m sorry we had to converse in his native tongue about a few things,”
“Oh that is alright, I figured you two needed to talk about something as you two looked intense about something,” Canard replied, as he turned his head back to his sister. “So do you know when my sister will be fully awake?”
Tristan shook his head. "Fully awake no, but the change in mental state means she’s a step closer."
“So she could wake fully up tomorrow morning or the day after that?” asked Canard.
“Yes, but that depends on her desire to wake up,” Julius replied, as he walked over to Canard and sat on the bed facing him.
"You mean right now she doesn’t want to?"
"That is exactly it, right now her mind is scanning other people minds putting fragments together and Kala is fighting with herself for weather she should wake or stay asleep.” Tristan said calmly.
“I hope she wakes up, the sooner the better.” Canard replied. “Her training is probably not even fully started yet and the masters at the magic guild is probably worried about her skill with her magic,”
"She’ll be alright, magic should not be used by someone who is not sure of themselves and who they trust."
“So she could be asleep for weeks to months to years and the magic guild will still take her in?” Canard asked. “Mom said something about her window of opportunity is shrinking if she doesn’t get there soon,”
Julius shook his head. "It's not as small as you’d think and she had made good progress. The guild will take her, Tristan has made sure of that, but he has also taken the responsibility to get her up to speed with other students."
“How?”
“Mental telepathy works wonders on her, Canard. Do not worry about that as I will make sure that she’s on level with her fellow students by the time we get there after she wakes up fully.” Tristan stated. He noted the book bag by Canard’s feet. “I assume you have homework to deal with.”
Canard looked at his school bag and cringed. “Yeah, I got loads of homework to do. I guess I should really head for home and get to work on my homework,”
"Might be best, but come by again tomorrow, your company will do her good."
Canard got up and leaned to Kala’s head kissing her forehead. “I’ll see you tomorrow sis. Remember, we love you always.” He stood up and picked up his bag as he headed for the door. Julius escorted him to the front door. Canard looked at him. “Would it be okay if I brought Wing with me tomorrow or should he stay away for the time being?”
"You can bring him by; just warn him that she has yet to wake up fully."
Canard nodded as he started to step down when he turned to look at him. “Should his mom tell him what the Ancients did to her while they had her as their captive?”
"If she hasn't told him, I think it's because she thinks he can not handle it, it might be safer to tell him the main cause of her situation, that a magic restraining collar was put on her and has put her in a coma. It’s not a lie but it is a selective truth that most can handle."
“Alright, I’ll go see her first before asking him to come with me tomorrow,” Canard said, before he headed down the path and out of the gate and to the bus stop to wait for the next bus to come.
Julius watched as the bus came and picked him up and drove off before stepping back into Raven’s Court and heading back to join Tristan in their watch over Kaladan. He was relieved that Kala’s murderous mindset was now over.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Summer sat listening in awe as Lola explained trade practices and the different currencies in space. Papa-rok had made it sound simple but it turned out that a trade group may belong to a certain family but there was still the board of directors to handle, which dealt in different areas of trade and regulations. The board director position is usually handed down from mother to daughter, usually the seat is lost only when no daughters are born and becomes part of a son’s dowry. Nazan had held on to the position of head of the Rokfeather trade group through sheer politics and the fact that his first mate died in child birth and their daughter soon after, the political one was all boys and not recognized as valid, so Summer had no challengers, the only thing they could use to challenge her was the fact that she was adopted and was not of real Rokfeather blood. They had challenged Nazan’s right to lead the trade group once, they never made the mistake again, Nazan had enough political power at that point to have almost all commerce cut off from the station, he took quite a bit of satisfaction in their formal apology.
"So can they kick me out as head of Rokfeather because I am adopted?" Summer asked.
Lola nodded. "They can which is why Nazan is spinning the tale that you are his child from a mistress so that no one thinks you are adopted. You have to be careful and avoid them demanding a DNA test because it will give you away and Nazan has no intention of handing everything over to the board."
Summer sat there thinking about what Lola had said. “Is there a way for his blood to be in my blood so some of his own DNA is within mine, which would make his claim as my dad be legit?”
"For Doves when they adopt there is also a large blood transfusion involved, but only when adopting from the same rank or lower, you can not adopt a child from a higher rank. This is because the blood transfusion for Dove is more like transferring a virus which implants itself into the cells of the adopted child. The higher the Dove rank the stronger it is, so a council rank born child can not have their bloodline overridden by a trade rank or warrior rank. Trade rank is the lowest of ranks. You and Nazan could use that method but it would only work if he wanted you to live as a Dove. In this case you are to take on Rokfeather, I'm sure there is a method but that would be more in the healer, bio-mage, or bio-alchemist knowledge."
Summer nodded. "Maybe I should ask Tristan, he's a bio-mage. It would be best to get this sorted so that no one can challenge me so that he has less to worry about."
Lola nodded. "Just make sure you can handle what ever it takes, people who have lived in space sometimes forget planet side perspectives."
“I will, I have too much to lose if I fail,” Summer replied.
"True, if you fail you will loose your new status, the Rokfeather fortune, and the many estates as well as ownership of the Ora 6 space station."
“That is why I cannot fail, I have too much to lose and it would hurt my dad more than me even though I would be a disappointment to him because I failed in my duty to protect his family.” Summer replied. “I need to make sure that no one can doubt that I’m a Rokfeather,”
"Good, you should probably talk to Tristan about DNA alteration, it's a touchy subject that the healers’ guild will not openly talk about but explain the situation and that you are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve it."
Summer nodded. “If you do not mind, I’m going to go talk to him now about it.”
Lola gave her permission to go as she wanted to know if Tarisn had told Wing about what the Ancients did to his mate to be as she went to her chambers and video phoned the Flashblade residence to see Tarisn answering the phone.
“Hi Lola, Wing is talking with Canard at the moment.” Tarisn stated.
“I figured he would be telling Wing that he can come with him on his visit. Does Wing know about what really happened to her?”
Tarisn shook her head. “He wouldn’t be able to handle it since he has a gentle heart. I told him that they placed a magical restraining collar on her which rendered her comatose and it would be a while before she wakes,”
"Alright, I'll make sure no one involved tells him otherwise."
“Thank you.” Tarisn replied. “How is she? Canard said that he was able to see her? Maybe I should drop by and examine her again?”
"Might be an idea, also what do you know of DNA modification?"
"Other then it's against the rules, modifying a persons DNA is looked down upon unless there is no other option for treatment."
"What about in the case of an adoption?"
Tarisn shook her head "very few would be willing and even then they run the risk of being banned from being a healer if found out. Though Tristan would but he'd want to log process and results since it's part one of his research projects. I'll warn you now Lola that it's a black project, the healers’ guild sanctioned it because part of the goals of the project was to see if the Dove immunity to magic can be neutralized."
"Which empire commissioned it?"
Tarisn smiled. "Yours actually, its Seabird funded. Your mother commissioned it a long time ago because she wanted to unchain your father before he was made to become Black Dove. It's also why I'm telling you all this. Otherwise I’d have had to keep my beak shut." Tarisn said with a smile.
“I see, I’ll suggest it to Tristan as Summer Rokfeather is wanting to change her DNA to that of her father’s so no one could claim that she’s not his legit child,” Lola replied.
“I see why you asked about it,” Tarisn said, glancing behind her to see Wing and Canard. “Do you want to talk with Canard or Wing?”
"No, I'll see them tomorrow. Take care, Tarisn."
Tarisn smiled as she turned off the videophone to turn and look at her son and his best friend. She could tell her son was agitated by something said by Canard. “What’s wrong, Wildwing?”
Wing looked up at his mom. “Could Kala have died if Tristan and this Julius Nova didn’t find her in time?”
Tarisn bit the bottom of her bill, it was a serious question and one she was not sure how Wing could handle it. But then again in regards to the collar he did have a right to know, Kala was to be his mate as per contract with Catherine. Tarisn nodded. "Kala is very lucky to be alive and without brain damage. She is very lucky, they found her when they did but also that they were willing to put their time in to make sure she recovers without any side effects. Tristan is a healer like me and Julius is a master Necromancer, between them I'm confident on Kala's full recovery."
“But could she have died?” asked Wing. His eyes pleading with her to tell him the truth.
“Yes, she could have if they didn’t find her within the next hour, she could have died from being separated from her magic,” Tarisn replied.
Wing got up from the couch and headed for the door. “I should have gone with her, kept her protected,”
"And you would have been a dead drake, those who kidnapped her killed the Necromancers protecting her and they were not to be taken lightly. Wildwing, before you think about protecting others you should learn to protect yourself otherwise you will be no good to anyone you want to protect."
Wing leaned his head against the door. “I know.” He turned to look at them. “I have homework to do,” and he headed up the stairs to his room.
Tarisn sighed and looked to Canard. "You should probably head home and work on your homework."
Canard nodded as he walked out of their home for his own. Tarisn watched as he climbed his stairs and disappeared into his home. Tarisn glanced up the stairs and made her decision to go talk with her son as she climbed the stairs and went to her son’s bedroom, knocking before she entered to see him sitting on the window looking out towards the Thunderbeak residence. “What’s wrong, son?”
Wing didn’t turn. “I feel so helpless, mom.”
"You’re only 8, it's normal to feel that way when confronted with what you can and can not do. Now that you know what are you going to do about it?" Tarisn said, warmly though half challenging her son since moping in her experience got a person nowhere.
“I want to learn how to fight, how to protect the ones I love,” Wildwing replied.
"How about to start by playing s goalie instead of just defense, part of being able to protect is not letting anything get past you."
“How can a goalie protect his loved ones?” Wing asked.
“Come, I’ll show you. A game is being played in a few minutes at the statue of DuCaine; we will watch the goalies protect the goal.” Tarisn said, as she got Wing off the window and heading for the stairs.
It didn’t take them too long to skate to the bus stop and the bus to arrive taking them to DuCaine center where the hockey game was being played at. Tarisn got a great spot by the goalie. She looked at Wing. “Now watch the goalie and watch to see how he protects the net.”
Wildwing turned his attention to the goalie and saw how he moved to keep the puck from going into the net and how fast he flung the puck out of his glove towards members of his team and took a stance between the poles. “I don’t understand, mom, how can watching the goalie teach me how to defend?”
"The net is what he is trying to defend, but to do so he must watch the puck which is small, fast, and hard and can come at him at any angle. Most have a hard time being a goalie because they can not move fast enough or the puck coming at them makes them flinch. It’s not as easy as it seems."
Wing watched the goalie in silence noticing how he moves to block the puck, even he saw the puck not cross the pole as the ref called it a goal. “That’s not a goal, mom. The puck never crossed the pole. I was watching it!”
The team coach head what the young white haired, white feathered drake said and yelled for the ref and they took the camera that one of the officials had up and found that the puck didn’t go past the goalie as it was blocked by the knee pads of the goalie. The goal was removed from the other team’s score, much to the pleasure of the coach. He turned to the young kid, “You got good eyes. Are you a goalie for your school team?”
Wing shook his head. "I just play defense."
He shook his head. “You actually have a good eye for a goalie. You might want to consider switching and trying out for goalie,” he looked at him. “If you stay after the game, I’m sure that my goalie will teach you a few things about being a goalie, if that is okay with your mother?”
Tarisn smiled. "It would do him some good."
“Sure, I would like that,” Wing replied, as he continued to watch the goalie defend his goal.
Tarisn looked at him. “When you get older, you will appreciate what you learn here, Wing,”
Wing nodded "How do Suscans learn to defend, if we use hockey as our basic example?" "Their net is the cargo, their puck is raiders. The goalie those who protect the cargo, for them their basic example is not as simple as ours but neither is their lifestyle."
"I was wondering because Lola can protect Kala."
"She can not protect her from everything, Lola is also older then you."
"Not by much she is in the same grade as me and Canard."
"Lola turned fifteen this year, Suscans age slower then ducks so she looks the same age as you."
“Really?” Wing asked.
“Yes, really,” Tarisn replied, running her hand over his head. “I attended her birth here on Puckworld in her mother’s home as Catherine didn’t want anyone but a trusted healer by her side for the birth.”
Wing smiled he felt better knowing Lola was older, it explained why she could fight back when he could not. "Can I learn defense from the Suscans as well?"
“Maybe but that would require you to serve on one of their ships for a few years, if you keep your grades up to an A in all and I do mean all of your classes when you are 15 years old, I’ll let you have couple months during the two and half months of vacation on a Suscan ship,” Tarisn replied. She knew she would have to work this out with Lady Catherine and her eldest daughter Kelsa.
"Alright, but how will I learn self defense off the ice?"
"I'll see if there are any classes offered that may be good for you."
“Alright, mom,” Wing replied, as he turned his attention back to the ice and the goalie.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Summer made her way to the room Kala was staying in since it was most likely where Tristan would be. She knew Lola had not purposely pointed out what could be used against her for being adopted but it became pretty clear when things ran in a family. Papa-rok had without second thought offered her something she would not have had as a Beaufinch daughter. Though she had not realized the scale of it till Lola had told her. She sighed as she got near the door. Everything had it's price as Lola had taught her. Papa-rok had needed a daughter, she had needed a family. The price for him was making sure she was taken care of and learned what she needed to know so that when he passed on she would inherit everything. The price she was to pay was to learn and under no circumstance loose what she was to inherit. She knocked at the door. "Its Summer can I come in?"
Tristan opened the door, "Sure, what brings you before your watch?"
Summer stepped in and let Tristan close the door behind her. "I want to know if it is possible to partly alter my DNA so that no one can question me as Papa-rok's daughter."
Tristan raised a brow, "You do know that is illegal right?"
"No, I didn't," Summer said, crestfallen after she had built up the courage to ask him.
Tristan looked her up and down, "You’re not of Dove birth are you?"
Summer shook her head. "My parents are both Puckworldians."
"The correct term is Orithian child, so you have no Suscan or Raptrin blood in you, nothing that could even be used by nananites to alter a sequence to match your Papa-rok's DNA." he shook his head. "Even if I had said yes as you are there is nothing in your current DNA that would allow me to do so without serious complications."
"So I should just give up and tell Papa-rok to find a mate and have a daughter and that there is no way I can take over Rokfeather."
"That depends on whether you want to participate in my research project or not."
Summer gave him an odd look. "What does this have to do with your research project?"
"Your papa-rok among the Doves is Nazan Skyhawk, till you mentioned Rokfeather I did not think he was the same person as chairman Rokfeather of the Ora 6 station. I can see the dilemma he is facing; it is probably the same his parents faced. As a Dove his children are Doves, but Rokfeather is one of the few powerful Raptrin families who are not. Adopting a child but not doing the Dove process of adoption means you will not be bound by the Dove traditions and laws yet because you are not of his blood you are in danger of being denied the Rokfeather inheritance."
"I still don't see where research comes into it." Summer interjected during Tristan’s pause.
"My research is how to remove what makes a Dove a Dove, I think I've found it but have never found a wiling test subject for it."
"I never said I was willing to be a test subject, and you already said I have no DNA type that can be altered to match Papa-rok."
Tristan laughed. "That is true, which means the only way you can achieve it is through magic, but your Papa-rok is immune to it so is his DNA. The immunity to magic is what makes a Dove a Dove."
Summer stared in disbelief, he sounded like he was contradicting himself. There was a way to change DNA through magic but it wouldn't work because her Papa-rok was immune to magic. She sat back in a nearby chair and went though it again. "So you want me to convince Papa-rok to be your test subject and if it works you can change my DNA via magic?" Summer warily asked.
Tristan smirked. "No, I can not involve a Dove directly and the magic that is used to change DNA is a bit taboo since it involves a mother being reborn genetically as her child."
“Even if I did find a Raptrin mate it would not make my DNA the same as Papa-roks."
"What he is implying is that you mate with your Papa-rok and conceive a child from doing so. He uses you as a test subject to see if he can remove the Dove magic from the fertilized egg so that you can be reborn into the child’s DNA which would be yours and your Papa-roks." Julius said from the other side of the room, he was getting annoyed that Summer was not putting it together.
Summer stuck out her tongue at Julius. "Can't do that till I'm old enough for my lust,"
Tristan shrugged. "Accelerated ageing is simple enough, so do you want to be my test subject or not?"
Julius noticed the pose in Summer, she was totally against what they both had stated. “It means your ties to your Papa-rok will be cemented and no one will take what he gives over to you away. You will have to mate with him to conceive the child though. What is your decision, child? Are you going to go with it or run the risk that one of the people on the station will find that you are not a true Rokfeather and you are declared a liar and killed for trying to claim something that is not legitimately yours?”
"With what I have been through you are asking me to do something like that, do you have no sympathy!" Summer growled accusingly.
"I made the offer out of sympathy, Summer, otherwise the answer would be a straight no and you would be left constantly trying to keep your adoption a secret." Tristan’s expression softened. "Convincing him to mate with you is up to you, nothing I or anyone else can say will push him to do so. I've been watching him for the past while and he has not the will to harm a child."
“How can I do that . . . convince him to mate with me?” Summer asked. “I rarely see him drink, so there will be nothing to drug his drink with.”
"Do you think so little of yourself that a person has to be not of their right mind to have you?" Julius asked then smiled. "You have never have had sex of your own free will, it is very different then by force."
“I was forced by my stepfather and was about to by those two white robed Ancients, so I never know how it is when it is done of my own free will,” Summer stated.
"Then take some time to think about it, it is better to sort yourself out now because later might be fatal." Julius said calmly.
"Fatal?"
"The guild also teaches blood magic, blood magic is usually done in a group of two or three. Once paired they rarely perform group rituals with others because of the bond of trust between them. The bond is highly intimate and can not be broken except in death nor can it be achieved by force." Julius looked Summer in the eyes. "I'm speaking from experience that if one of the set is uncertain of themselves, get cold feet or feels uncertain about trusting the others involved it is fatal."
"But you are still alive."
"I was lucky to make a pact with a Nightshade on my last breath. I am more or less undead, you can check for a pulse if you want."
Summer walked over to Julius and touched his wrist as she searched for a heartbeat. She looked up in shock. “There’s no heartbeat,”
Julius smiled sadly. “I live and yet I am not. Now, do you understand why you have to trust yourself and your partner?”
"Who was your partner that did this to you?"
"The person who founded the Ancients."
"So did you found the Necromancers?"
"No but I knew them, and am bound to one of them. The Necromancers were founded by the three Pillars of Magic - Courage, Virtue, and Wisdom. A powerful magic user must have the courage to face all obstacles no matter how small or great. The Virtue to embrace who they are in both darkness and light and the Wisdom to understand the universe around you,"
Summer nodded. “If I do this, after it happens, should I return here to see you, Tristan?”
"Do what exactly?" Tristan asked not quite understanding the question.
“Get pregnant by my adopted dad,” Summer replied. “Do I return here to see you?”
"If you decide to be my test subject you will have to see me first, you pointed out yourself that you are too young to get pregnant, I would have to age your body accordingly. But I will not do that till you have decided weather you can mate with him or not, especially since pregnancy does not always happen on the first try."
Summer looked at him as she stood there silently for several minutes before she smiled. “Do it, I’m going to seduce him when I get back to his chamber and get the fertilized egg for this to happen.”
Tristan and Julius both looked at her in shock. Julius asked. “Are you sure about this, Summer?”
“Yes, I have everything and nothing to lose by doing this,” Summer replied.
"No, I will not yet. Summer you have made the same mistake your step father did with you. You are not considering the other person’s free will in the matter. Nazan is not just an object to be seduced, treating him like that in this situation will cost you dearly, for he is still able to deny you the Rokfeather inheritance." Tristan said sternly.
"But..."
"No buts, take time to actually think about it. This is not a game, it involves blood magic so get your head straight first." Tristan said, with a tone of authority. Summer had never in her life felt such a strong magical force emitting from a person. The Ancients had seemed frighteningly powerful, but they were nothing in comparison to what she felt now.
Summer bowed her head. "Alright, I will try." she said before leaving the room. She had thought if she just rushed forward she would not hesitate, but instead she had rushed into a brick wall of Tristan seeing right through her. She punched the wall only to hurt her hand. Why did it get so complicated, why couldn't the universe just play fair.
Summer stalked off to Nazan’s room, he was probably still busy with the school. When she opened the door she was surprised to find him asleep on the bed. She was tired herself and she figured why not slip under the covers and sleep next to her adopted father. She pulled off her clothes and climbed into bed only to have a dagger pointed at her throat. “Papa-rok, its me, Summer!” she wasn’t sure if he was still sleeping or that he didn’t really want her to sleep next to him.
"One move closer and I'll slit your throat." Nazan said automatically.
Summer backed off the bed in a hurry she had not expected that. She quickly put her clothes back on and bee lined out of the room as Nazan became aware of exactly who had intruded on his sleep. Nazan swore under his breath and got dressed, he'd have to find her before she got into any trouble and explain.
Summer made her way as quickly as possible out of Raven’s Court, she wasn’t sure what she was to do but she needed some space to think. Papa-rok obviously didn't trust anyone to sleep beside him, how much trust was there between them? She had been angry with Tristan telling her, he would not move forward with it till she got herself sorted out. Now she was starting to understand why. Seducing a drake to get what she wants was something her mother would do and her mother always thought it was also doing the drake a service. Sometimes her mother would use trickery on them. Summer shuddered she hated her mother but she was making the same mistakes, wasn't she? Had her mother ever trusted someone, honestly trusted? Probably not, had she herself ever trusted any one? she felt cold... the answer was not one she wanted, it was no. She had never really trusted anyone, only used them like her mother used people. She felt cold inside as the tears welled up in her eyes, she was just as much of a monster as her mother, never to love, never to trust. She walked as she noticed that the area was familiar to her as it was where Nazan’s family home was at. Maybe she could stay there since he never but on a rare occasion went there. She headed for the Rokfeather residence.
She was just outside the gates when she noticed a Raptrin male standing at the door talking to Giles, he looked like a regular business drake in a Suscan style black suit. She decided to see what he was here for and went through gates towards them. "Papa-rok is not in sir, can I be of help?" she asked trying to at least show she belonged there.
The Raptrin smiled, he didn't look much older then her adopted father. "I was hoping to have tea with an old friend."
Giles glared at him. "I do not care how close you are to him Kellin, you only step foot in this house with the master’s invitation."
Summer looked to Giles. "Is he really an old friend of Papa-roks?"
"Since they were children, but he is not to enter without the master’s permission.”
"Then he can have tea with me, I want to hear about Papa-rok’s past," Summer said sweetly. "I am also your master, am I not Giles?"
Giles sighed, he didn't like it but she had the right as Nazan’s child. "Very well, I'll be serving tea in the back atrium."
Summer smiled, as she walked into the house and towards the back atrium.
“Nazan sure got lucky again having a daughter, so where’s his new wife?” asked the young Raptrin.
“She divorced him soon after I was born. She raised me till just recently when she dumped me on his doorstep,” Summer stated.
"I see, never though he'd be able to love another after Oksana's death, and little Nami's. I had hoped the political match might have healed the wounds a bit but all it did was make him more miserable and on edge. I doubt he gets a good night sleep anymore and still sleeps with a dagger under his pillow."
“He still sleeps with a dagger under his pillow, I found that out a few times when I had night terrors and would come to his bed to gain support from his presence,” Summer stated. She now understood the dagger at her throat.
When they got to the atrium and sat down at the table in the center, Kellin smiled. "How about you tell me the truth and then I'll answer any questions you have about Nazan, I've been alive for over 300 years, and I know Nazan better then anyone. He never took a third mate."
Summer looked unfazed by the question. “By what Giles said, you haven’t seen him in a while, so how would you know he might have taken a third mate and hid that fact from everyone but for Giles.”
Kellin laughed. "You have a good poker face Summer Beaufinch, I see Nazan more often then you think. It is rare for us to meet here, but when the papers for your adoption crossed my desk I wanted to see how he was doing without the Dove customs getting in the way.”
Summer looked down at her hands. Clearly, this Raptrin knew she was adopted. She looked up at him. “So how many others know of my adoption or is it just you who knows?”
"As it stand, you, me, Giles, Nazan, my daughter Lola and who ever else was witness to the event or you have told." he said casually. "Now why don't you tell me the truth of what is going on?"
Summer looked at the Raptrin. “Why do you call Lola Seabird your daughter when she is not your daughter but the daughter of Lord Collins?”
"Kellin is the old Raptrin version of my name; one I'd have stuck to if I did not become Black Dove."
“I see. The reason behind my adoption is that Nazan needs me as his heir or his family’s fortune will go to another female or to his son’s dowry and I have been disowned by my own mother thus is why he adopted me as his child,” Summer replied.
"Why are you here instead of where he is?"
“Had to get away, before he did something he would regret,” Summer said. “A dagger to your throat will do that to anyone who had to contend with the aspects of being raped by couple Ancients and finding a new father in one of your saviors only to come to find out that you are not really wanted in his bed even though he allowed me to sleep within his bed whenever I was not watching Kala.”
Giles came in with the tea and placed it down before leaving quicker then he usually would.
Kellin took a sip of the tea, letting himself digest Summer’s words. "Don't take the dagger personally, after the events with his second wife, Nazan barely trusts anyone. I'd be unfair to say it was all her doing; it's more like three hundred years of everything building up to that point. When we first met he was 9 and I was 19, his father was arguing with mine, refusing to allow Nazan to become a Dove. We didn't care about that at the time and came to this atrium to play. When our fathers realized we were missing they started to look for us and were surprised to find us here. My father caved to Nazan’s father then telling him Nazan had free will in the matter of being a dove or not since Nazan and I had hit it off so well and for a Black Dove’s child, there are so few we can call friends. I'm not sure when it happened but Nazan started calling me Kellin. it was just before he turned 13 that the first blow was struck, his aunts on his mothers side had held his father hostage, if he wanted him to be freed alive he had to take the life of a good friend. The incident broke Nazan, he saved his father but he could not return to the carefree life he had before. He had no choice then but to become a Dove or be tried and executed as a murderer. When father presented him to me as Nazan Skyhawks, and Nazan called me by my proper name I got angry. I hit Nazan hard and told him he would always be a Rokfeather and he had no right calling me Collin. Nazan broke down into tears. My father left us alone at that point. And that's when I managed to get Nazan to tell me what had happened. I used my father's authority to sort things out explaining to the authorities what had happened. The police were willing to drop the charges on Nazan as long as his aunts were tried in a non Dove court for kidnapping and murder. My father wanted to object, but they had gone against his promise that Nazan had free will in weather or not he became as Dove s long as we were friends. Nazan’s father was overjoyed to be able to have Nazan live as a Rokfeather again, but some of the damage was already done, he had the Dove mark and he still could not go back to the same school so they changed their residence to the Ora 6 space station which his father owned and Nazan studied in the merchants guild. I loved visiting him on Ora 6 as Kellin, he had regained some of his old self even with the emotional scars."
Kellin dug out a photo from his breast pocket and placed it in front of Summer. It was of a young Nazan and a young Kellin and an amber feathered Orithian girl with blue eyes and red hair but she looked no older then Summer.
"Who is she?" Summer asked as she let what Kellin had said sink in.
"That is Oksana, she was your age in this photo Nazan and I was in our 80's."
"How long does Raptrins’ live for?"
"We live about 600 years, three Orithian full lifetimes. Nazan is 302 this year. Oksana was being sold as a pleasure slave but Nazan had taken a fancy to her and bought her to be a bond servant. She was the best thing to happen to him. I can not remember a time when Nazan was as happy as he was with Oksana, he married her when she turned 13, though they didn't try for a child till she was in her mid 30's. They were overjoyed when they found out their first child was going to be a girl."
Summer knew what was coming next. "But she died in childbirth and Nami didn't survive."
"Nami was born with a nasty brain tumor and heart tumors; she lived no more then a day. The only thing that had stopped Nazan from ending his own out of despair was his responsibilities; he also started training as an assassin, more to focus his mind then to take a life. Though he did end up taking contracts, when I asked him why, he told me that it was the only time he felt alive when he was taking it away from someone else. I asked him where he drew the line he replied he drew the line at harming children. I couldn't argue. I met my own wife during that time - Catherine Seabird. What drew me to her originally was that she was a lot like Nazan, had given up on ever being content. I was actually scared to tell Nazan about her and that some how we has found contentment in in each other and that I had asked her to be my wife. My father had refused the marriage at first but Nazan had told him he was being a daft old buzzard and that if he wanted what was good for the Doves then my match with Catherine would be it. Among the Doves no one tells the Black Dove what to do, but Nazan didn't care about that. When my father threatened to strike him down if he did not take back his words, Nazan told him to go ahead, that his life was worth nothing but he was willing to do what it took to help his best friend."
Summer could see the sorrow in Kellin’s face. "What did your father do?"
"He gave in on the condition Nazan submitted to the Dove lifestyle. Nazan consented without second thought. When I asked him why he did what he did he only smiled bitterly and told me that I should have a chance to be happy. His wedding gift to me was the oddest thing, an assassination contract commissioned by myself as Kellin Naviray to eliminate Collin McDove. He had commissioned a very dangerous project in trying to remove what makes a Dove a Dove. When my father found out years later, Nazan was imprisoned and scheduled for public execution. My father died of heart complications before the scheduled execution and I became the Black Dove. I had them release Nazan and drop the charges since the crime he had committed was for my own sake. Going against tradition I made him take the role of Crimson Dove so that he had every right to tell me when I was being a stuck up feather duster. When the Tri-Markay wanted a political match I asked Nazan to take the match so that maybe he could try again, Oksana would not hold it against him. He came back from it worse for wear, he would not let anyone touch him even myself." Kellin sighed. "Things had gotten bad at Raven’s Court so all I could do was make the request to look into it. When he had gotten there a young boy had killed his father and siblings. A child who they had hurt and abused quite a bit. I asked Nazan to take the boy under his wing and try to fix Raven’s Court and raising Rowain I think helped him get himself back together. You can imagine my surprise at seeing the adoption forms for you to go onto my desk. Nazan may still not be able to love or trust yet but at least he's trying to hope."
“Yes, I am, Kellin.” Spoke a voice from the archway.
They both turned to see Nazan standing there. Summer wanted to stand up and go to him but she held herself back. Nazan saw the motion and she remaining in her seat. “I’m sorry for what happened earlier, Summer.”
"It’s partly my fault, I wasn't thinking about how you would feel about me being there."
Nazan sighed and picked her up from the chair and sat down sitting her on his lap wrapping his arms around her. "It was just a misunderstanding, they will come and go as we working things out."
Summer leaned her head against Nazan’s chest. “I understand, Papa-rok, I shouldn’t have gotten to the bed without alerting you but you were sleeping and I didn’t want to disturb your sleep, so I kept silent as I tried to get into the bed.”
Nazan smiled slightly. “A bit of warning would have been good considering what profession I am in,”
Summer nodded, it felt nice to be held by Nazan. Right now what they both needed was to be able to trust each other, nothing good could happen if they didn't. “We need to trust each other. I’m putting my trust in you, Papa-rok, to give me a good chance in getting a better life than what I would have had, if I ran,”
"I will try, it's not as easy as it once was." Nazan said warmly.
Kellin smiled, “I'm going to borrow you guest room and get some sleep. Though you know Summer if I didn't know better I would have mistaken for Oksana."
Nazan glared at him. "Bite your tongue."
"Just saying what I see, all I'm saying is maybe you'd be better off marrying her instead of treating her like a child, it's not like she hasn't known a male. You don't have to listen to me, it's just my two cents."
"She's too young, and it's not the same."
"No but lets face it, you will out live her by a hundred years unless there is something you know that I don’t. A father shouldn't have to bury his children, though it is common for one mate to pass on before the other. Be realistic, they will not accept her as your child but as your mate no questions asked.”
"I will not force Summer into anything she does not want to do."
"Then you two should work it out, I'm going to lay down," Kellin said as he walked out of the atrium to get some rest in the guest room.
Summer waited till the sounds of Kellin’s footsteps faded away before she climbed from Nazan’s arms and into the seat vacated by Kellin. She looked at him and told him what Tristan had told her and how it could work to where she could be reborn as his child and be able to take the Rokfeather name and inheritance legitimately. She spoke, “I am willing to try it as I have everything and nothing to lose in doing it. It is your choice if we do this, Papa-rok.”
Nazan closed his eyes and rubbed them trying to make up his mind and then he looked back to Summer. "Let’s take it a step at as time, are you sure you want to be my lover? Are you sure you can handle a drake’s touch?"
“I know you would never intentionally hurt me and would take my first time as gently as you can, but I need to do this or I will never allow a drake, Saurian, Suscan, Raptrin or any other male touch me in a sexual manner,” Summer replied.
Nazan leaned back in his chair. “Then, come back over here to me." he said gently as Summer got out of the other chair and sat back on his lap. One arm went around her, he nuzzled her neck. "Tell me if you want me to stop." he said, as his free hand caressed the side of her leg. Summer quietly moaned, the Ancients and her stepfather had not done this to her, it actually felt nice. She leaned her head to the side so that he had better access to it. His hand moved to her inner thigh slightly angling her to be partially facing her and claimed her bill with his. He pulled away and looked at her warmly.
Summer was a bit surprised by the kiss but what he was doing felt nice and her body wanted more. "Please don't stop," she whispered.
Nazan claimed her bill again and this time his hand went under her shirt, gently playing with her undeveloped breasts. Summer moaned and squirmed a bit on his lap, it was when she realized there was something hard under her. She put her hand down to stroke it only to get a moan out of Nazan. He undid his pants and let it come out so she could feel it fully for herself. Summer stroked it as he caressed her body, she let him pull down her pants and stroke her inner folds, she was already wet from his caresses but now she could feel it wanting to run down her legs. He took her pants and panties off completely and positioned her so that her inner folds were over the head of his member as he rubbed it across them causing Summer to moan and her body to shudder. He pushed her down gently as his member slowly went into her. Once in as far as he could go he began to move it in and out of her slowly. Summer claimed his bill as she came, Nazan came just after he pushed his member in as deep as he could go. They stayed like that for a bit. She nuzzled her head into Nazan’s chest. They had been right, this was not like those other times. Maybe Kellin was right, being Nazan’s mate might be better.
“That felt totally unlike what they had done and I liked how you claimed me,” Summer said, as she listened for any sounds coming from the hallway in case Giles came into the room to refresh their pot of tea to find him and her in this pose. “Nazan, if you want to take me as your mate instead of your daughter, I won’t mind claiming your last name as my own.”
"We shall take this a day at a time, for now you are my mate, weather you choose to be reborn as our child or remain my mate is up to you. Just promise me you will never regret your choices."
Summer stood up and took hold of his hand. “Then, let us take this encounter to your bedchamber and continue to experiment as I decide weather or not to be your mate officially or be your child and reborn.”
Nazan smiled and picked her up in his arms and carried her off to his bedroom.
~~~~~~~~~~
Giles glared at Kellin, there was a reason why the Raptrin was not allowed in the house, and this would have to be added to the rest of them. He was tied up in the kitchen with a gag in his beak as Kellin sipped tea. "I'll untie you later, but Nazan and Summer should not be disturbed while having their talk."
Giles spat out the gag. "And what per say twisted thing did you put in their heads?"
"Giles, you really think me a fiend, maybe I am. But you know as well as I do that just adoption will not save the Rokfeather family. Summer according to the off world laws has no rights to be his heir despite the adoption. I simply made them see the truth of the matter. She may be young now, but I think for both their sakes she should be his wife."
"Are you not disturbed by the age difference?"
"No, Nazan will out live her, she's Orithian, so starting a relationship early should not hurt. It may actually do her some good as well."
"You are a sick twisted fiend."
"You are probably right Giles, but at least I try to do what's best for him." Kellin grinned. "I'll untie you but you are to stick to your rooms and the kitchen, leave them be for now."
"It is not like I could stop Nazan from doing what he so chooses, and it is probably already to late to run interference."
"That is correct." Kellin said as he untied Giles, "But I wanted to make sure."
“If she does become his wife, then what will happen next?” Giles asked, as he rolled up the rope that Kellin used on him.
"Then there is the possibility of children, though there is the possibility they may choose for her to be reborn as his and her child. It would be interesting, and Nazan would have a way to breaking away from the Doves."
"Summer being reborn as her and Nazan’s child sounds even more twisted."
"It's not really twisted, but an unquestionable linage as a Rokfeather child. True, it means she would be both his mate and child but she would gain a longer life from it."
"What do you means a longer life? I do not understand what you mean."
"400 years to 500 if she is really lucky."
Giles gave him stern look, "Your not joking are you?"
"I'm not joking, and I don't want to have to see Nazan bury another child or mate.”
“But what about that bitch of a second wife dying before he has to bury another child or mate?” Giles asked.
"Then wouldn't it be better for Summer to be reborn as their child? Then there is nothing that bitch of a second wife’s children can do to harm Rokfeather.”
Giles looked at him. “From what I was told that, that bitch has no legal ties to Rokfeather name or properties, so if Summer stays as his mate . . . his legal mate and bares him children, the Rokfeather name will continue on.”
“So you think she should be his mate and bares him children it would be good for his personal family line?” asked Kellin.
“Yes,” Giles replied.
"Then Summer is his best choice, they both seem fond of each other." Kellin smiled as he patted Giles on the shoulder and stood up. “I will be going now. Please tell Nazan and his mate that I will see them another time when they’re not experimenting with their bodies.” He walked towards the door and tilted his head as he listened to the noise upstairs before walking out the door.
~~~~~~~
In Nazan’s bed, the cries of pleasure had finally died down as Nazan collapsed on top of Summer even though he kept most of his weight off of her. That last session really made Summer cry out with pleasure as sex with Nazan was beyond what she had ever thought it would be, even with the one and a half rapes. She curled up against his chest after he rolled off of her. “Nazan, what would you say if I asked you to be my mate . . . under Suscan law, not Dove law?”
"I can't say that I can argue, I'm yours if you will have me."
Summer smiled as she wrapped her legs around his waist and angled his erection at her inner folds and slid him within her. “I want you as my mate, Nazan and I claim you now,”
Nazan moaned as he felt her slid onto his erection. He knew she would not be his legally till she bares him a daughter, but at that moment, he didn’t care as his mate was claiming him as her own. He loved her for the rest of the day and then deep into the night before they both fell asleep, sleeping next to each other.
~~~~~~~~
It was the next morning, when Summer slid from under Nazan’s arm and quickly dressed and headed for the front door. She saw Giles in the kitchen. “Giles, I’ve taken Nazan as my mate. Please tell him that I will be at Raven’s Court talking to Tristan about something and I’ll be back soon.”
Giles nodded as he went about his duties in the kitchen.
Summer ran to Raven’s Court and headed to the chambers where Kala was sleeping at. She knocked and hearing a male’s voice, opened the door to see Tristan and Julius sitting within the room. “Tristan, is there a way to age me to be a 14 year old? I need to be of age to bare my mate children,”
Tristan raised a brow, "That seems a very different request then before? What happened?"
"You were right, it is different when of free will, and you were also right about it having to be mutually of free will that drugging and tricking was not the right way." she smiled. "I might not be good to have as a daughter but as a mate I can be. Nazan has consented to be my mate under Suscan law. For that I need to bare a daughter to him to be fully legal and I can't with my current age."
"You've grown up a lot." Tristan said warmly. "So you want to grow up to match your mind and be fertile to the one you want as your mate."
Summer nodded. "Yes, unless it is not legal."
Tristan patted her on the head. "It is legal and not uncommon practice in a desperate situation for a female to ensure the continuation of a family line. The spell were designed for Saurian and Suscan females, it has some bad side affection on Avians."
"What are the possible side effects to the changes?"
"The constant fertility greatly reduces an avian hen’s lifespan, in your races case once you've used the spell, you will be lucky to live 20 years."
"Any other side affects?"
"Any medical conditions you may have will become more prominent and develop faster."
Summer nodded. "I should ask Nazan if it is ok."
Tristan nodded, "That would be wise, as your mate should also know the risks before you take them."
Summer nodded. “Where should the spell be done at?”
Tristan spoke. “I’ll ask Lola on where a ritual would be held at and I’ll have her meet your mate at the door and led him to the ritual room.”
“Thank you,” Summer replied, as she hurried out of the room and back towards her mate’s home.
~~~~~~~~
Summer reached her home and walked in to see Giles at the kitchen door watching her as she entered. “Please do not bother my mate and me for another hour, Giles. Thank you.” And she hurried up the stairs to their bedroom, slipped within the room and spying that Nazan was still on his back sound asleep. She smiled as she undressed and climbed back into bed and started to roll onto his chest.
Nazan’s eyes opened and he immediately pinned her to the bed. “Where did you go off to, my mate?”
"I went to Raven’s Court, I wanted to know if it was possible to just age my body and be fertile for you. If we are to be mates under Suscan law, don't I have to give you a daughter first?"
Nazan wrapped his arm around her waist. "That is true, but what was the answer to your question?"
Summer paused before she spoke. "It is possible but the spell was designed for Saurian and Raptrin females, it has some side effects on Orithian females since it keeps them constantly fertile."
"I see, unless with child, Saurian and Raptrin females are constantly fertile once of age, Orithian females only once a month once of age. So what are the side effects?"
Summer bit her lower bill but decided it was best just to tell him. "I'll be lucky if I live 20 years."
Nazan sat up bringing her into his lap as he leaned his head against her head. “It will be the best 20 years of our lives then.”
"If we are lucky, I wanted to know what you thought of it before I did anything we may come to regret."
"I told you Summer, no regrets no matter what path we choose. Though may I say one thing if you go ahead with the ageing?"
"What is that Nazan?"
"That before it claims your life you undergo the rebirth, as our child, that your memories as my wife gone and replaced with that of a child’s memories of their parents."
Summer smiled as she looked at him. “I planned it to be that way, so when I undergo it, I will not look upon you as a husband but as my father,”
"It would do my heart good, though there is no rush to undergo the change right away, you can take a couple weeks and just get use to the feeling of being my mate. Also learn what you can from Lola, once in a mature body the board will want to meet you."
“It will be six weeks total once a week, I shall be aged one full year till I am fourteen years old, then hopefully, my Lust will come and I can start producing you your daughter and son for the Rokfeather house and that of the Skyhawks house.” Summer stated, as she looked at him. “I already have everything in mind.”
“Woman, you are probably the best thing that has come into my life right now,” Nazan replied with a smile on his bill, before he yanked her legs to go around his waist as he pulled her close to him and to let her know how much he loves her as his erection made sure that she knew it too.
“Oh my mate, you are the best thing that came into my life, no one will tell me that I am wrong for you.” Summer replied, as her hand stroked his erection but didn’t angle her body to bring it within her.
Nazan moaned, last night had been the first time in 60 years he has had a female, even now he was still sensitive from the time without.
Summer smiled as she could feel his erection demanding to be listened to in her hand, she knew he wanted her and it pleased her to know that she was loved not for being a female but for her mind and heart. “You want my inner folds to lick your erection, don’t you, my mate?” She cooed.
Nazan moaned, “Yes, I want to fill you with it and love each stroke of your folds on it,”
Summer looked at him as she raised herself up over his hardened erection to where it would only mean a push down from her to envelope his erection within her inner folds as she opened them with her fingers and sat down on the head of his erection. “You want me, now you may have me, my mate.”
Nazan felt the moisture of her inner folds and pushed up feeling it slide within her as she pushed herself down onto it with a loud moan as he filled her with his erection.
For the next two hours, they mated before Nazan carried her still buried within her folds to the shower and there they made love under the shower as they cleansed themselves up. They were within his chamber once again getting dressed to go see Tristan and get the first of many ageing sessions done.
Summer picked one of Nazan’s moms old childhood dresses, it despite its cuteness was strangely non restrictive, then she remember his mother had been an assassin, of course her clothes would have been easy to move in, it also reflected that she was never really a child. "Nazan, how old was your mother when she was betrothed to your father?"
"She was 10, father was already in his 100's. A Dove born to the top two classes really never has a childhood. By the age of 10 she had already taken lives, but for assassin families it gets harsher. The trials only allow two children to survive, but one more child may also take at the risks of execution and try to run from the Doves. Mother took the slim hope and ran. The child who runs only has one goal, to stay alive as long as possible before being found. Father had found her passed out in the snow and brought her here. When she had woken up and he asked her how she had come to be in the snow she told him, and then told him she would do anything if she could stay with him till she can figure things out. Grandmother had actually over heard it all and told my mother that if she wanted to stay then there were four conditions, one she married my father, second take on his name to protect their family line, and third was to protect him from harm, and that she let him run the family business even though once grandmother died she would be head of household. Grandmother had them married under the old Raptrin tradition so a daughter wasn't necessary, but the only child they had been me, which made thing even more difficult, if not for Kellin and Catherine backing me I do not think I could have taken over as head of Rokfeather when my parents had passed away." Nazan smiled towards her. "Though I will not hold that position once you have undergone the ageing process Summer. The board agreed to me taking the position only until I had a mate who would bare me a daughter and allow her to carry on my name. Once that daughter is born, my mate take over as chairmen and the position later gets handed down to our daughter."
“That is not a problem for me, Nazan, our daughter will be able to take the role I will take till she’s of age to take control of the family business,” Summer said as she finished dressing. “We should go now. He should not be kept waiting.”
Nazan smiled as he finished dressing himself and taking hold of her hand walked out of their room down the hallway, down the stairs and out of the house towards Raven’s Court.
~~~~~~~~~
Lola stood at the door waiting for Summer to come but was slightly surprised to see Nazan walking with her. “About time you both came. I was wondering when you two will get here,” she chided them gently. But she knew this was a big day for them both. “Tarisn is here to examine Kala and she’s going to be examining Summer before she undergoes the change.”
Summer smiled. “Thank you, Lola. Which room should the examination be in?”
“She’ll do it in our medical ward. There is more equipment there to check everything.” Lola replied. “I’ll escort you two there and let her know you two are here.”
Nazan looked at Lola. “Where is Tristan?”
“He’s getting the ritual room prepared for the ageing ritual. He’s probably done or close to finishing the spell circle.” She said.
"Summer says he will do it over a span of a few weeks."
Lola shook her head. "You can do it that way with a Saurian or Raptrin, but not an Orithian, you can only do it once, any more and the reproductive system becomes damaged. I double checked."
Summer nodded. “I guess I’ll be an adult sooner than I thought, but I don’t mind as it means being with my mate longer.”
"You still have a few days to enjoy your youth, Tristan won’t do the ritual until Tarisn says ok and that means a thorough exam and a few days to get all the results together as well as a projection of what you will face after the ritual is done to you. This is not something to rush into Summer, and that ritual can only be done with a certified healer’s permission. Because Tristan is doing the ritual he can not grant permission for it."
“Okay, but it will be soon.” Summer replied, as Lola opened the door to the medical ward to see Tarisn standing there with a lot of medical equipment near her. “Let’s get this over with.”
Summer was surprised at how calm Tarisn was while she was examining her asking questions and examining her body thoroughly even in the intimate areas checking for tears or damage. She knew Tarisn was connected to the other girl so she wasn't sure how she thought of what was happening. It was after Tarisn had finished drawing blood to do the other set of tests that Summer got the courage to ask the question that had been building up in her mind. "You’re Orithian as well, and you know the other girl found from the temple, yet you haven't said anything against what I am doing."
"A regular Orithian, Summer, would have told you that you are being used and sexually abused. I'm not a regular Orithian, I grew up in space, and to be honest, Summer there are child sex slaves younger than you. Doves value free will so Nazan would never deprive you of it, speaking of which, no sex with him 48 hours before the ritual if I clear you for it."
Summer looked at her surprised. "Why?"
Tarisn smiled. "A side effect of intimate relationships with a Dove is that the immunity to outside magic and free will from any divine forces. Considering you have recently had sex with him I can say there is nothing clouding your judgment."
“I decided it long before I claimed his erection within me, that I would take him as my mate,” Summer replied.
"It’s alright Summer, you don't have to justify it to me. The only thing I dislike is you’re reducing your lifespan so much when a little patience could accomplish the same goals."
"There is a kill chip in him, from what I learned from Kellin the female that had it put in also traumatized Nazan a lot. I don't trust her to play fair once our marriage becomes public."
Tarisn nodded. "Those chips are nasty, try to remove one and it kills the host right then and there. The reason for the ritual boils down to politics then. The healers’ could forbid us from letting a patient needlessly shortening their lives but in this case it is needed to ensure the continuation of a family line." Tarisn said picking up some paper work and filling it in.
"What's that?"
"Part of the paperwork for this, my evaluations of you and report, and the permission document if everything checks out, and the consent form for you to sign at the end stating you know and understand the consequences and risks,."
“I know the risk and gladly accept it,” Summer replied.
"Good, I will run the blood work and process my diagnostics, you will know in a day or so if you are in good health for it. If you are healthy enough that is, I’ll sign the permission, remember, no sex with him for 48 hours before the ritual. Understood?"
“Yes, I understand.” Summer said. “Would me sucking his member be sex too, or should I refrain from doing that, too?”
"Yes you will have to refrain from all the intimates, you don't want the ritual to backfire."
“I don’t want that to happen,” Summer replied.
“Good, now go spend time with Lola and Nazan and learn more about the role you are about to take on when this is all over with.” Tarisn stated.
Summer smiled and got off the examination bed and left the med bay. She decided to check on Kala before finding Lola, she hadn't made mental contact with her since coming to terms with herself. Tristan was on the couch napping and Julius was lying on the bed beside her. Summer didn’t go closer because she did not want to wake them, Tristan had obviously been tired from the ritual prep. She let her mind connect with Kala's, she could see that Kala’s mind was questioning weather she should ever wake up. She let Kala’s mind scan hers, she wasn’t sure if it would help but after her experiences and to have found herself and what she wanted she hoped to give Kala some hope. She left once Kala’s mind had finished looking at hers to find Lola in the library to continue learning what she needed to know.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A few days had passed, Summer and Nazan spent their nights together in his room at Raven’s Court, they had also managed to discuss the details of the rebirth with Tristan which would also allow him to complete his research. Though Summer had not understood why he included Tarisn in the discussion, it became clear when Summer had been presented with the forms to sign. Tarisn had put her birth date a couple years earlier so that her current age was 11 and marked her down as early fertile. She also noticed a Puckworld birth certificate for a little girl named Summer Aria Rokfeather that was about to turn two, her and Nazan were listed as the parents. She looked back over her health report that made a note that some damage from her first child bearing was hindering her fertility and the ageing ritual was requested by the patient and confirmed to be a viable solution for baring a few more children to insure the family line. Then she went on, a report at the bottom of the pile which was for Summer Aria being placed in Tristan’s care in order to remove what makes her a Dove. Summer looked up to Tarisn. "This isn't the real report you did."
Tarisn shrugged. "It's close, you are actually fertile but your body hasn't developed the pheromones for the lust yet, I was surprised about that myself so with what was discussed with Tristan I worked out with him a good birth date for your reborn self, filing it now is less suspicious then filing it later."
"So what are you not telling me?"
"The only risk you have from the ritual is your heart, long term tests suggest that at a certain age you will develop heart problems. With the ritual, they will become more pronounced, after the ritual you have five to seven years before they do you in. I'd have turned the ritual down if it wasn't for the underground ritual of rebirth."
"Why did that change your mind?"
"Once completed your reborn self will live over 400 years."
Summer nodded as she looked at her and then turned to Nazan. “Even if it means a shorter life, I’m still going to do it.”
"I thought as much, just sign the forms and wait the prescribed amount of time. I'll give you one final checkup after the ritual."
Summer signed the papers and looked at the clock as she spoke, “In two days at ten am, we will do the ritual to age me,”
Nazan looked at Tarisn. “She will be with me after the ritual is done, Tarisn, she will most likely be in Lust after it is done,”
Tarisn locked eyes on him. “Maybe, Nazan, she may not go into her Lust till a month after the ritual has been done,”
“How do you know?” Nazan asked, locking his eyes on her.
"Remember I'm being considerate Nazan, trust me and let me do my job. If there are complications and you've been intimate with her, then Tristan’s hands become tied because of your Dove ability to be immune to magic. It’s something in your blood, in your spit, in your sperm, the things that make you like that exists in your body liquids. If those liquids go in or on Summer then she is infected with that as well and no magics will work on her, even if it was to save her life."
Nazan took a step back, he was not normally to be one scared of people but Tarisn was the Seabird’s healer and had thus also treated Kellin many times.
Tarisn sighed. "I'm not being cruel Nazan, I just do not want any complications. I re-examined your first wife medical files and cause of death. The healers had tried a bio magic treatment but it had no effect. I know from Catherine and Kellin relationship that if they had been together it would take 48 hours until any bio magic treatment would work."
Nazan sighed, as he looked at Summer as much as both of them wanted to start their family immediately, they both knew it was for the best that they wait till Tarisn did her examination of her new body after it was done. He nodded silently.
"Good, Summer is free to go, I will see her after the ritual."
Summer went to Nazan’s room and sat down on the bed. She knew she had 48 of not being with Nazan in a sexual manner as the ritual was important, not only to her but to Nazan and the station that depended on him to find a good mate to give him a daughter. She removed her clothes and pulled on her nightgown and slid into bed. She knew if she slept it would just speed the time up as if she stayed awake, the more and more nervous she would be about it.
Stay tuned, the next chapter is coming.
- 10
- 11
- 12
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Vastati fatum (Ravaged by fate).