Cinderfella

Story: Cinderfella 2: A New Life

Chapter: 16 Telling Blethos

Author: Eric McQueen (mcqueen.richarderic@gmail.com)

Mature Readers only due to sexual situations and graphic sexual content

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They know who their fighting, and more about how, but now to tell everyone. A'Dore, Royal Valley and all of Blethos and Cried.

Telling Blethos

We would be working harder on making more of Christian's little warriors. They thrived in a person's body, but how long would they live outside the body? Then again, they had lived for countless years in a glass jar! We would be busy a while and I paint things as being intense, and it was, but things were not always rosy at home. Toby was growing up quickly and turned three, growing so fast it was hard to keep him in clothes and he attended the new school we had started for children that were deaf, if for no other reason than to show him that he was not the only one. There were three in Royal Valley now, including Owen's nephew Tommy. And there was another thing; Dennis. I had been there when Thomas, Ada and Ana was about two years old and became....well...little beasts. Being as advanced as Dennis was, he didn't wait to turn two. At eighteen months he became that little beast, but Doris, who had deal with her own before and knew what happened with children was almost at her wits end! Dennis was now talking more, but the one word he knew and used very often, was NO. I was thankful Toby had skipped this, but Dennis was doing enough for Toby and him!

"You need to get dressed," Doris said to Dennis who was sitting naked on the bed. She held some clothes he was to wear.

"No!" Dennis declared folding his arms over his little chest.

"Then you won't be going down for breakfast," Doris sighed. "You can't go naked."

"No!" Dennis repeated.

I had been passing by and heard the whole thing I looked in, I looked at Dennis. "Why are you saying no?" I asked Dennis.

"I don't want to." Dennis said flatly.

I shrugged. "I guess you don't want to eat. Or have some juice." I said knowing how much he loved grape juice.

Dennis looked at me. "Why?"

"Because we all dress to go down to eat." I reasoned. "Your Daddy and I dress, Toby dresses and you will dress, or do without."

Doris smiled at me. "He's just at that age, but I'm surprised it's as early as it is. I've dealt with it before. You just need a lot of patience." I thanked God for Doris.

I nodded. "My nieces and nephew did this. It nearly drove Ella insane, and Christian said he'd rather negotiate with foreign dignitaries than negotiate with his children."

Doris laughed. "At this point, I imagine they're pretty much the same as foreign dignitaries." She waved me off. "I've got this. He won't win." She said firmly looking at Dennis.

I frowned. "I hate putting this is on you."

Doris nodded. "That's my job." She smiled. "I can't do a lot of things but raising children I can do." She said confidently.

I looked over at Toby who was waiting patiently to go down for breakfast. "So, we'll go and eat what Dennis doesn't want to dress for." I grinned at my son lifting him. I groaned. "Maybe we should skip a meal, you're getting heavy."

Toby grinned and signed. I'm getting big! Then he looked at his brother and signed. Get dressed, Dennis, stop being stubborn.

"No!" Dennis shot at his brother showing his brother wasn't immune to Dennis' fury.

I shrugged. "Suit yourself. If you don't dress, no breakfast or juice." I smiled at Doris and went down the stairs as I heard Dennis let his rage out very loud in a cry that was almost feral! I sent a prayer of thanks again for having Doris to deal with this, but I felt guilty giving it to her, even though she was paid to care for Seth's and my sons. I wondered how parents dealt with it when they had no choices. Seth and I would be lost without her or Grace.

Seth grinned as we entered the kitchen but frowned as he looked at me and saw my face. "Is something wrong?"

"Dennis is going through that part of life where the answer to everything is no and he refuses to do anything instructed to do, like simply get dressed," I answered as Seth greeted Toby with a kiss on the cheek.

Seth shook his head. "Toby didn't go through that."

I shrugged. "Dennis is advanced for his age as we all know. It was bound to happen. With Dennis, it's early like everything else. Toby just doesn't seem to have it in him, but he could later."

"Coffee's ready." Grace said to no one and everyone. "Eggs are cooking and ham coming." She turned from the stove and waved to us. "Sit." She commanded.

"Yes, Ma'am." Seth and I said sitting as I put Toby in his chair.

"Can I at least get my coffee?" Seth asked carefully to Grace.

"I said it was ready." Grace said pointing to the coffee. "Will we be back for lunch?"

Yannick came in stretching as he came. "That smells wonderful!"

"Sorry, Grace," I shook my head. "We'll be working most of the day. We won't be here for lunch." I looked at Grace who was moving quickly. "Grace, should I hire help for you? You're doing a lot. Fixing breakfast for us, the guards and our two guests..."

Grace spun; her eyes widened. "No!" She said sharply and then sighed. "No, please don't. They'll just be in my way." She smiled. "I'm just..." she looked at Yannick. "Things are just a little chaotic right now." She still wasn't sure that these Creid were not what she'd believed them to be, but evidence was showing her otherwise. "If you want, someone to help with the housework, that would be fine. It seems now all I do is cook!"

Seth got up and got his coffee. "We'll be happy to do that, Grace. You're a blessing to have. You shouldn't carry to whole thing alone." He grinned at Yannick holding the coffee up. "Coffee?"

Yannick smiled nodding. "Please?"

That's when someone knocked on the door to the kitchen. The guards didn't knock anymore. Answering the door, I saw a young woman with a child about five years old. Her hair was dark, not black but very dark brown. Her eyes were brown as well and she was very pretty.

"I told Doris I would come by and pick up Toby for school," The woman smiled. "I'm Delta, Owen's sister." She ran a hand over the dark-haired boy's head. "This is Tommy."

I smiled as I put my hand out. "It's nice to meet you, Delta." I knelt down in front of Thomas. "Hello, Thomas." I held my hand out to him. He took it and allowed me to shake his hand.

"He's learning civility," Delta said. "The common courtesies are a little foreign to him yet."

I stood back up. "But he's learning. I'm Erik."

Her face fell a little as she instantly bowed. "I'm sorry, Your Highness..."

I quickly held my hand up to stop her. "I'm sure Owen told you. We don't go by those protocols here. I'm just Erik." I waved to Seth and Yannick. "The one on the left is Seth, my husband. To the right is Prince Yannick of Creid."

Now, to Delta's credit, she didn't react hearing Yannick was Creid, but she looked at me. "Do I say Your Highness to Prince Yannick?"

I looked at Yannick, but he was staring at Delta. Delta was in her mid to late twenties. Yannick may have had sex with men in the past and perhaps with a few women, but I knew interest when I saw it. As far as I knew, Yannick viewed sex as sex, but was he interested in Delta? Why not?

"Yannick?" I said to Yannick, breaking his thoughts as he became aware he was addressed.

"What?" Yannick asked and then shook his head. "Just Yannick is fine. It seems that titles are not really used here. It will be nice to just be Yannick for a change." He said smiling at Delta. "Can I call you Delta?"

Okay, she was smiling, too. "Of course, it is my name." She looked at Toby who was getting his breakfast. "It seems I'm early. Do you mind if I come in until Toby's ready?"

I grinned at Seth who merely shrugged as we both saw Yannick's and Delta's reactions. "Sure," I waved her in. "Tell me. Have you found work here yet?"

Delta shook her head. "I've been getting Tommy in school, but I haven't yet. We just moved to Royal Valley."

"Can you do housework?" I asked.

Delta looked surprised. "Every woman knows how to do that."

Seth looked at Yannick and then back at Delta. "Could you do it here?"

Delta smiled. "Work here at the manor? I'd be delighted to. This is a grand house!"

I pointed to Grace. "This is Grace, she's so demanded, and she can't do it all. She will be the one in charge if you take the job."

Delta nodded. "I would love to work in the manor! I hope I do well. I'll take Thomas and Toby to school and come right back."

Yannick stepped forward. "I'll come with you." He said a little hurried and then looked at Seth and me. "We are here to protect Toby and Dennis as well....and that other thing, right? I can at least walk them to school. Is there a guard posted at the school?"

"Of course," Seth chuckled at the obvious interest. "But an escort would be great....for Toby." Seth smiled, knowing it wasn't Toby getting the escort necessarily, but Delta.

Yannick took the coffee from Seth. "Coffee, Delta?"

Delta smiled nodding. "If it's no trouble."

Seth walked over to me. "She's not a virgin!" He whispered to me pointing at Tommy.

I shrugged. "And neither is he. Let's let things progress as they will naturally. I know King Mordor wouldn't care as long as he picks someone, and we don't know they will click. We'll just have to see. Let's not marry them off until we know."

Yannick swore to be back soon as he escorted Delta, Tommy, and Toby to school.

When Ryan got down, he was...happy.

I smiled at Ryan. "I take it all went well last night?"

Ryan nodded as he drank some coffee. "Very well." Then he shook his head. "I still can't believe how no one looked at us strangely. And there were two other couples at Royal Gardens like us. One was female!"

I chuckled. "It's no longer against the law. Having seen Seth and I together sort of eased any discomfort there was."

Ryan nodded with a smile, "I'm seeing Darrin again tonight."

I patted him on the back, "I'm happy for you!"

Ryan looked at me. "I don't think King Mordor will ever allow men to marry men."

"You never know, he might in time." I said hopefully.

Ryan grinned. "Of course, it could just be from a great evening yesterday, but I think those little warriors are causing...almost a state of euphoria. I feel great!"

I had felt it, too. "These little warriors are pretty powerful, and it worked on Christian. We'll be doing some work on these warriors today. I feel better than I have in a while."

Once Yannick got back, Seth, Yannick, Ryan and me walked through to A'Dore only to have Dr. Warren standing there watching.

The elderly doctor just shook his head having seen the doorway work. "Marvelous." He almost whispered. "Simply marvelous! It's a pity we don't know how this works, we might could make more!"

The doctor smiled. "Better than I've felt in years! Better than I have in decades! I slept like I haven't in quite a while. Why?"

Seth walked toward us. "Because you look a little younger."

The doctor touched his face. "Do I?"

"It seems these little warriors do a lot more than help the body's immune system to heal." I said cautiously.

Yannick nodded. "I feel better than I have in while. I feel like a teenager!"

"That's because you are feeling the juice of the Forbidden Fruit." Demetrius said at the entrance of the room. He had enough sense not to just appear.

Dr. Warren's eyes widened at a stranger to him. "Who are you? How'd you get in here?" He demanded. "There are guards posted!"

I touched the doctor gently. "Relax, this is Demetrius. He's one of the good guys."

Seth let out a grunt at that. "He's friendly, at least."

Demetrius growled. "I am one of the good guys, damn it!" He shook his head. "Granted, you had a bad experience with what happened. I don't blame you, but I am a good guy. Can't you see that?" Demetrius said to Seth.

Seth nodded. "You are." Seth admitted. "But Len Na and Lukus..." He narrowed his eyes. "He said it was fun when Arthur killed my mother. He says he said interesting, but he said fun! I'm still not sure about him.","It was a poor choice of words." Lukus' voice said as he stepped from a wall. Seth and I had seen this before, but the others had not and were backing up immediately. "Fun was not the word to use, I meant interesting. Hell, being scared is fun if you're not hurt. What happened with your mother, father and brother was not my doing."

"Then how was it fun?" Seth shouted. "I was hurt! My mother was killed! How was it fun? It wasn't fun for me or my mother!" Seth walked forward to Lukus, and it was all coming out at last. "You showed Arthur how!"

Lukus gave a shrugging nod. "If not by what I showed him, it would have been done some other way, but you survived! Your brother is king!"

Seth shook his head angrily. "I don't care! My God! You're not going to take any responsibility even now?" Seth shouted as anger came to the surface. "I know, it was all Arthur's choice! He could have changed his mind, you said, but there was a point of no return before that...whatever exploded! Why didn't you stop it then? My mother died! I was scarred! For two decades I believed I was cursed!"

"Arthur could have told your mother and gotten her, your brother and you out!" Lukus defended. "He made a choice!"

Demetrius held his hands up knowing this could escalate. "For right now, we are all on the same side."

"Are we?" Seth challenged Demetrius. "Those warriors in our systems are from the very fruit that condemned mankind to a life of sin according to the scriptures. Now they are floating free in our systems and how do I know it's not for something even worse?"

Demetrius turned Seth away from Lukus and looked him in the eye. "Because I say it's not." He hugged Seth who was shaking. "I love you. I never want to hurt you. I wouldn't let something like that happen to you. You have got to trust me, Seth or this is lost before we start!" Demetrius forced Seth to look at him. "Do you believe I love you? You're my son! I would never, ever hurt you or Erik."

Yannick had been watching in disbelief finally found his voice. "What the HELL!!??" He asked me pointing at Demetrius and Lukus. "You said they were real, but..."

I nodded going to Seth. "Now you've seen it for yourself, Yannick. Lukus was the one that gave us the doorway." I said absently as I touched Seth arm, which Seth grabbed my hand again and was squeezing it, out of pain he felt? Or just to make contact. "Are you okay, Seth?"

"No!" Seth shouted. "I'm far from okay, these creatures..." he waved at Lukus, "whatever they are, have played with mankind since the dawn of man! Whether it be because they're bored or just for amusement..."

"Look!" Lukus shouted back not backing down. "Let's get it straight! You descended from Adam and Eve; they both fell when they ate the forbidden fruit! You were born from parents after that sin! We were in the garden before Adam even ate the fruit. Our parents are those that lived in the garden and having never touched the damned fruit! Why were we thrown out?"

"Which even Demetrius admits is legend to even you!!" Seth shouted. "There's no proof this ever happened!"

Demetrius came to me and Seth. "Please, both of you. We're on your side! Len Na is going to attack and the more time we waste..." he looked to me pleading. "Don't you trust me?"

I smiled to Demetrius and put my arm around his shoulder. "How can I not?" I looked at Lukus. "But you have to admit, what happened to Seth's family was horrible. It's hard for him to trust you. You have to understand why!"

Lukus nodded. "I know!" He said loud and then took a calming breath. "Yes, I'm guilty of showing Arthur what to use and how to use it. I will admit that. What do you want from me?" He asked Seth. "I'm sorry!"

Seth's breath was easing. "That...is the first time I've heard you even admit that." Seth looked at me. "I met you and married you because of them. I love you. If you trust them..." he shrugged. "I will, too." But Seth shook his head. "I just....can't even remember her! I can remember nothing before the fire. I don't even remember that!"

Lukus stepped forward. "Well...I can help you there, but...when I do....there will be other memories that may not be pleasant."

Seth was now crying a little. "I can't remember her face!"

Lukus nodded. "If I can..." he held his hands up.

Seth nodded.

Lukus touched Seth's temples. Maybe because I still had Seth's hand, but suddenly I saw....before me, and I was a little boy. I had fallen on a marble floor which I remembered was in the palace in Blethos and then I saw a woman, a very beautiful woman with King Alexander! Only King Alexander was young! Seth had a lot of King Alexander in him. She smiled as she knelt down and picked me, or Seth up. She was pregnant! She was pregnant with Sam!?

"Be careful, honey!" King Alexander said cautiously and kindly.

"Be careful picking up my own son? Our son?" She laughed. "He's heavy, but I'll always be his mother and can pick him up easily." She said kissing King Alexander and then she turned to Seth. "It's alright, you're not hurt I think, you were just startled." She smiled kissing Seth. I could see, hear, and smell her! She smelled like flowers!

King Alexander smiled touching Seth gently, caressing his head. "You're always in a hurry. I've warned you not to run." He said patiently.

The woman shook her head. "He's got a lot places to go and can't wait to get there." She chuckled kissing Seth again on the cheek.

King Alexander nodded. "I know." He grinned at Seth. "Just slow down, Phillip." He kissed Seth on the cheek as well,

Then it faded.

Seth took a deep breath as his tears were now happier, "That was my mother!"

Lukus nodded. "It was. It's your memory of her," He said kindly. "I've opened the gate and other memories will come...not all of them will be pleasant like this one was."

Seth nodded. "But I remember everything! How she looked, sounded, even smelled!" He marveled. Then he looked at Lukus. "Thank you, I just wished....I wish she'd lived."

Lukus nodded. "I know."

Demetrius let a breath out in a sigh. "Thank God that's being healed!" He looked at all of us. "Now, Len Na knows something's up. We've managed to cloud her vision of what's happening. You all have to be careful. She will use whomever to get what that is. You've got to work fast and get things going." He looked at Ryan.

Ryan had been standing absolutely stunned at what he saw. He gathered himself. "That's why we're here. Seth, Erik, Yannick, Dr. Warren, and I have those little warriors in us now. We're planning to let others know and how to do it."

"Good." Demetrius nodded. "We won't hold you up." Demetrius hugged both of us and then turned to Lukus. "I have a question since you know so much about what life was like in the garden."

Lukus' eyebrow rose. "What?"

"Did Adam, Lilith or even Eve have belly buttons? They weren't born, but created, or did God put them there to create a pattern? And there was the fruit of the Forbidden Fruit, the tree of Knowledge and all that." Demetrius frowned. "Clothes weren't developed until the Children of Eve were thrown out of the garden!" Then he grinned. "Was there a shit tree?"

Lukus' eyebrows rose high on that one. I'm sure mine were as high at the question. "What!?" Lukus asked incredibly.

"Did they even shit back then? I can't imagine it being a garden with all that human shit just lying around." Demetrius said lightly in his way. "We do now, so I can't imagine they didn't and there must have been thousands of years back in the garden. There had to be hundreds of those trees! What did they use for toileting? There was no cloth yet, and I feel sorry for any leafy bush or tree they used, but they had to go somewhere, so where'd they go? Behind any tree? And there had to be a lot of those trees for as many as I heard there were. Was there a shit tree?"

Seth and I burst out laughing. Even Yannick was laughing, though Ryan was still not sure about them. Dr. Warren just shook his head, but he was smiling!

"Okay!" I kissed Seth. "This has been interesting, but we need to get to work!" I pulled Seth from the others while he gathered himself. "I saw her, too."

Seth grinned nodding. "She was beautiful, wasn't she?"

I nodded kissing him. "She really was."

That's when Christian came in and froze looking at Seth's tear-stained face and my comforting him, Ryan's look of uncertainty...then saw Demetrius and Lukus. Christian's eye narrowed. "Okay, what'd I miss?" He looked at Demetrius and nodded. "Hello, Demetrius."

Yannick came closer to Christian. "You know him." It wasn't a question.

Christian nodded. "We've deal with each other in the past." He looked at Lukus. "I'm not really familiar with him."

Lukus smiled. "Lukus." He held his hand out to Christian.

Christian shook Lukus' hand. "I assume you're like Demetrius since you're here and no one else would be allowed in here."

Lukus nodded with a smile. "I'm guilty."

Christian looked at Seth who was still remembering. "Is something wrong?"

I smiled at Christian. "Seth just saw his mother." I explained smiling as I held Seth's hand. "I did, too."

Christian's eyes widened, but he knew Demetrius could do impossible things. "Oh."

Then I looked at Demetrius. "I know you're supposed to be a child of Lilith, but you're immune to most...if not all illnesses children of Eve get. Is there something in your blood we can use?"

Demetrius shrugged. "I suppose there is, but I doubt you could successfully add it to yours. Just as we can't have children with the children of Eve. I'm sure our blood kinds would not be compatible."

Dr. Warren frowned. "Can we at least see it?"

Demetrius shrugged again. "Sure," He held his hand up. "Be gentle, please."

Ryan came over. "Just a little is needed." He brought up a vial of liquid. "This is the best cleanser, so hold still." He put some on a clean cloth and cleaned Demetrius' finger, then pulled a needle out of liquid I assumed was the same he'd cleaned with and jabbed Demetrius' finger.

"Ow!" Demetrius yelped. "That hurt!"

I grinned. "Don't be a baby." Demetrius looked at me crossly when I said that.

We all pulled up our sleeves to show where we'd all being stuck so we had little sympathy. What Demetrius had was a little stick to the finger. I thought, that was a very sensitive spot, and it did hurt more.

Demetrius looked and nodded. "Well, yes...you've all done your parts. I'll do mine."

We didn't know what to expect when we saw Demetrius' blood, but it really looked...just as ours did.

Dr. Warren shrugged. "I don't see where you're any different than other men."

Demetrius smiled with a shrug. "Hey, I just know there is a difference. The problem is you can't see close enough."

Ryan's eyes widened. "There's something smaller than this?"

Demetrius chuckled. "Of course, there is. Just when you think you've seen as close as you can, you invent something to look closer and see there's so much more! Ain't God great!?"

Yannick smiled. "I'll have to agree with you there."

Then Ryan explained how his needles were made. They weren't completely iron. Well, they were, but they added other alloys. That made this new metal easier to keep clean and thinner and much stronger. He was going to show our metal works how it was done and how soaking the needles in the solution kept them clean to use.

"Metals are the one thing we do best," Yannick said proudly.

I grinned, patting him on the shoulder. "Don't sell yourselves short. We wouldn't have a chance without your knowledge."

Ella, I found out hadn't been too enthusiastic about meeting the Creid, but finally consented to lunch with them. It was after meeting Yannick and Ryan she was pleasantly surprised and Yannick was at his charming best.

That night when we returned to Royal Valley we again had dinner, Ryan went to spend time with Darrin and Yannick spent time with Delta as she had concluded her duties for the day.

Seth and I got ready for our evening bath as we started by heating the water. Seth had been a little withdrawn most of that day, which I understood. It was later in the steaming water I had to ask him.

"Are you remembering more?" I asked quietly.

Seth seemed to be thinking about something and looked up surprised I'd spoken. "What?" Then he smiled shaking his head. "Not really. I keep thinking about my mother. I can't understand why I couldn't remember her. She loved me and I loved her. How could I forget her?"

I moved from the side of the tub I was on to sit next to Seth. "Lukus said he opened a gate. There are going to be things very unpleasant. That's why you blocked them out. You were protecting yourself, you were too young."

Seth nodded. "But I remember her now." He smiled and chuckled. "I can even remember her voice and her smell."

I chuckled lightly. "The great thing is I do too." I stroked the side of Seth's face. "And your father! He was so young!" I looked at Seth seeing much of King Alexander in his face. "You look a lot like him, both you and Sam."

Seth chuckled. "Well, we are his sons." He shrugged at the logic of his statement.

"But to see Sam before he was even born!" I grinned patting his abdomen.

Seth looked surprised. "You really did see them."

"Of course!" I said smiling. "She had this long dark brown hair, Sam got most of that. You got King Alexander's black hair. I'd say she was about seven months pregnant then."

Seth nodded. "I remember that." He smiled enjoying that we could talk about it together.

We again made love and then cleaned up. It was later that night when Seth suddenly screamed! I shot up turning to him immediately.

"Seth!" I called as Seth screamed more, his eyes wide, but not seeing where he was and then he looked at me. His eyes focused on me and began to tear as he just whimpered. "I was having....I don't know...not a nightmare? But it was a memory, I saw the flames! I remember the heat!" He said in an agonizingly pitiful voice. "I remember the fire."

It was only a matter of minutes before we heard the pounding on our door.

"Seth! Erik!" I heard Yannick's voice. "Is everything alright?"

I looked at the door. "Come in, we're fine," Yannick wouldn't be satisfied until he saw and confirmed we were alright.

Yannick came in with his sword in hand ready to take on whatever enemy was here. He was bare chested and had thrown on pants quickly, but he was ready to take on whatever threat!

"Seth just had another memory," I explained. "This one was very bad." I pulled Seth to me putting my arms around him.

Yannick looked around quickly and then turned back. "Oh, okay." He smiled at us. "We were told more memories would come." He walked over to Seth. "But I see you're well taken care of. I'll leave you to Erik. I'll let the guards downstairs know what happened." He touched Seth on the shoulder and left.

I pulled Seth and myself back down on the bed. "Easy, Seth. I can only imagine what you went through and that wouldn't even come close I know, but I'm here. I'll never leave you. I've got you." I spooned up behind Seth as he pulled my arm closer to his chest.

"It was so hot," Seth cried softly. "Worse than I think the fires of Hell are. She died! But I never saw her. It was horrible!"

What could I say? There was no comfort I could give him in words, but I remember thinking, that is one memory I was glad not to share with him, but if it took some of his pain away, I would gladly do it. All I could do is hold him.

Seth was very quiet the next morning. He didn't seem to be interested in anything, not even his morning coffee. The only thing I could do was touch him to show I was still there any time he needed me, but he was dealing with the memories alone.

Back in A'Dore, we began getting more of the blood liquid. Volunteers were guards and palace staff, who all were uncertain when they saw the needles. Even the toughest guard was a little wary upon seeing the needle and size! It was a needle, but even the toughest was leery of it! The Spinner was duplicated and sped up the process having several now. Then we had to give our blood liquids again to add to the ones given. Now, for those of us who'd had it before, we knew how it felt and did it a little more readily than before. The problem was we couldn't give but so much. It would go bad even with the cooler.

Ryan put the new batches of blood liquid in the cool storage. "We'll test some before we give it, but I'd say we should have a working batch soon. We can start giving it to more people."

Seth wrinkled his brow. "We're doing this for children, too, right?"

Ryan nodded. "I think parents that have the children while they have the little warriors in them already, will pass them on by birth, but we need to check to be sure. We know it will wear out in a few decades. Will it pass from mother to child? We'll see."

"But children have such small veins." Seth said a little worried. "It will hurt when we give them the warriors!"

Ryan nodded. "Yes, it will, but it will save their lives."

I frowned. "But what about babies? Their veins are like human hairs."

Ryan chuckled. "Yep, except for one." He tapped his head. "On the head is a nice, large vein we can access. They won't need much of the blood liquid and those little warriors will be able to reproduce. I've done it before. It can be done."

Seth nodded. "We'll have to take this to Blethos' capital. How will we do that and keep this blood liquid cool? It's a few days journey."

I shrugged. "We'll have to pack the liquid in a container and pack around the container with ice." I touched Seth's arm. "But we should deliver this. You need to explain what this is and why to Sam."

"I'm sure the palace in Blethos has a Dr. Warren of their own." Yannick said. "We'll bring a Seer, show him what we're fighting and how to make more of these warriors." He looked at Ryan. "And we have to bring this back to Creid."

Ryan nodded. "When you return, they'll have a source for the warriors. You. You've been involved in making more and know how. It'll be easier."

I sat on a high bench. "But Len Na will know after we start. She will have people working for her. They'll try to stop us."

Yannick nodded. "We'll have to be ready."

It was only a couple days before the batches were ready as we saw the little warriors had multiplied in vast numbers and then we started to give it to the people that worked the palace in A'Dore for no other reason than they were here and so were we. Those same guards who gave their blood liquid now wasn't too sure about getting stuck again. I explained that the same thing had happened to me, Seth and Christian and this was to save their lives. Then we had to deal with Ella.

"I don't understand, Christian," Ella said to her husband. "You're fighting a disease we don't even have yet?"

Christian nodded. "Yes. One of those...godparents out there is mad at the whole human race and is sending an illness to wipe us out!" He brought her to a Seer. "Look at what we have and what we've done."

Ella looked at the blood and what else we'd found and the little warriors.

"This way it may stop the illness or at least allow us to recover if we do get it." Christian was pleading with her to understand.

Ella couldn't deny what she saw but turned to Christian. "And you're putting these in our children?"

Christian nodded. "I have to, or they'll die. They'll die, Ella! We have no choice. This is the only way."

Ella nodded. "I see." She looked at some of the needles in a container of the cleansing liquid. "We'll have problems," She shook her head. "Many people won't understand and will refuse to believe and won't allow it."

Christian nodded. "If we explain what will happen if they don't..."

"They may not understand. Many are very simple and uneducated," Ella stressed. "I see what's involved. I've seen what's in the blood and I was terrified I'd lose you when you first got sick, but until it happens to people, some won't understand. They can't!"

Christian nodded. "I thought of that." He sighed sadly. "I can't make them. If they refuse, they will die. Even if they consent after getting sick, I'm not sure there will be enough time."

"But they may have children!" Ella said in terror.

"I can't make them allow their children to be protected. They will die, too."

Ella gasped at the horror of the idea.

"Please don't allow our children to die. They must have these warriors," Christian begged.

Ella shook her head. "No." Then she sat down. "Not unless I show them I did it, too." She held her arm out. "Put those little warriors in me first."

Christian smiled kissing Ella deeply, "That's my queen. I love you, Ella."

And she was a queen! She watched as Ryan brought the needle and Pusher to her and inserted it carefully after cleaning her arm. Her expression never changed. Now we had to deal with my nieces and nephews! I cringed with what I witnessed with them, knowing I would face the same with Toby and Dennis. Thomas was growing up just as his father had. I knew he'd be a heartbreaker as he got older, and it was beginning to show now. He only had a couple of years before he was a teenager and all the drama that went with those years. But to show how grown up he was, he bared his arm and took it. Although he didn't want to see it. Ada and Ana cried. It hurt! But Christian and Ella were right there, telling how much they loved them, how this would keep them from getting sick and comforted them as they were given the warriors. There were tears from Christian, too! It had to be agony hurting your children but knowing if you didn't they'd die. He was going to need major comforting after this! Then there was Edward! You'd think we were cutting his arm off!! This time neither Ella or Christian wanted to be involved more than comfort afterwards, Seth gave him the warriors telling Edward he was brave, and a good boy and he swore he'd never hurt him, but this was to protect him because Seth loved him. I doubted if Edward cared about all that. It hurt! But Seth was his favorite uncle, remember? More people Dr. Warren trusted were shown how and they began giving the warriors to staff's and guards' families.

I sighed as Seth and I looked out in the palace courtyard where members of family belonging to the staff were having the warriors inserted and there were those after seeing what was happening, refused to have them inserted running off with the guard or staff chasing after them to get them to comply. "This is a mess."

Seth nodded. "It sure is."

I turned to Seth. "If Len Na didn't know, she'll know now."

Seth nodded again. "I don't think we can get to the whole world in time." We watched as a woman was about to get hers inserted and just as she was sitting, she started screaming and pulling away. We didn't have to hear to know what happened. Her husband, a guard thrusted his arm out telling her he had them inserted,but she screamed anyway and tried to get away, he grabbed her back as he slapped her to stop her panic, then grabbed her in a hug as he talked to her...no doubt telling her he wasn't going to lose her and if she didn't, she would die. He kissed her gently and I knew he was pleading as she sat down. The man that had the needle and pusher ready cleaned her arm and inserted the needle.

"We may not." I shook my head. "But, if I understand strategy, and I had to learn it...part of learning to be a leader..." I chuckled as Seth's eyes rolled on that one. "...the attack will be started here. Blethos will be next." I shrugged. "And probably in Royal Valley."

"It's still morning, so we better get back to Royal Valley and start with our boys and then the rest of Royal Valley, but we have to get this to Sam. I won't lose him."

I pulled Seth into an embrace. "We'll do our best." I kissed him. "We'd better go back."

And it was just as I suspected it would be. Toby watched as we told him and signed what we were doing and why to make sure he understood. He seemed to understand, but he didn't like the idea of getting stuck. Who did? Now Dennis heard and immediately said...

"No!"

I knelt down in front of Dennis; this was enough. I took him by the arms firmly and looked directly in his face and looked directly in his eyes. I was frightened about this. "This has got to happen, Dennis. If we don't, you will not only get very sick, but you will also die. I won't let you die. Say no all you like, but this will happen!"

Dennis looked at Seth. I had never talked that seriously to him before.

"It will happen." Seth nodded. "We'll make it happen. You won't die."

I don't know if it was the tone or the fact that both his parents were united in this, his protests stopped.

I smiled. "Daddy had it done and so have I." I showed my arm where it was healing. "We'll get this done and over with."

Like Edward, you'd think we were taking both of their arms off! But Seth and I both inserted the warriors in our sons. Once that was done, we comforted both, rocking and rubbing their backs to calm them down. I told Dennis again and again that I loved him and couldn't let something worse happen to him. That I had to do it. I was sorry it hurt, but it was done and please forgive me.

"Kitty," Dennis said in a pitiful whimper.

I looked down at Dennis puzzled. "What?"

Dennis looked at me sniffing, "I want Kitty."

Toby raised his head from Seth and signed. We found a stray kitty at school. He's just a baby. Doris was picking me up and had Dennis with her. Dennis and Kitty love each other.

I looked at Seth, who merely shrugged. "We've been gone a lot. I had no idea." He smiled kissing the top of Toby's head. "Do we want a cat in the house? Arthur hated animals."

I chuckled. "Well, that's all the more reason to go get Kitty!" I held my hand up to Dennis, "But he needs to be checked out. He could be sick."

Seth frowned. "Who does that for animals?"

I got up kissing Seth. "And who has a farm we know and has animals? It's their livelihoods."

Seth nodded with a grin. "Garth and Bent."

I pulled Dennis up, kissing his cheek. "We'll go get Kitty and take him to Garth's and Bent's. If he says Kitty is healthy and not sick, of course you can have Kitty." I looked at Seth. "If for no other reason than to tell them about Len Na and to get their brood in."

I watched my son's smile weakly. He had been traumatized! A kitten would just cover a little of that trauma, so what was the problem? I knew I was being manipulated by a toddler. So, what?

"What if Kitty isn't healthy?" Seth muttered to me softly.

I looked at Seth frowning, "One crisis at a time, Seth."

"I hope Bent and Garth can understand," Seth said a little hopelessly.

"If we can't convince them, we don't stand a chance with anyone else."

We rode to the school on horseback. Both Dennis and Toby loved riding on horses. Sitting in front of me and Seth, they rode happily, but when we got to their school, it took a few minutes before Dennis looked and saw what his heart desired.

"Kitty!" He pointed from where I held Dennis.

Dismounting I looked to see a little black cat. Not just a little black, but solid black! Maybe eight weeks old. I looked at Seth but put Dennis down who went right to Kitty and Kitty didn't back away and wasn't scared. He knew Dennis. "Pick him up and let's go to Garth's."

He did saying something soft to the little cat as he stroked the fur. I tucked Kitty in a satchel where Kitty could look and see where we were going, but not get out.

Garth and Bent lived a little away from Royal Valley, but it was easier as we didn't have a wagon.

We arrived and saw Garth out in the field getting ready to come in for the afternoon. He looked up and waved to us and I heard him shout Bent's name and then pointed toward us. I felt a little guilty having not been out here. The house where Garth, Bent and three children was charming. It was a house built by necessity. What clearly had been one or two rooms was now several, but Carrie, Garth's deceased wife, had fixed it with the woman's touch and since Garth married Bent, there were additions made by two males, but it had a definite charm!

Bent came out waving as he wiped his hands on a cloth.

"Hi!" Bent greeted happily. "You guys haven't been out here, have you?"

I shook my head. "I only knew where you were. I'm sorry we waited so long." I hugged him. "But this is a little important." I dug Kitty out of the satchel. "It seems Dennis has formed an attachment to Kitty."

Bent drew back a little in...fear? "A black cat!?"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, come on, Bent! Don't be so superstitious! It's just a kitten!" I held it up as the kitten to my face where nuzzled close to either smell my nose or just to get a scent. "It's really a sweet cat."

Bent frowned. "But it's a black cat!"

Garth came in smiling. "Hi, Seth! Erik!" He saw our boys. "Dennis, Toby." Then he frowned. "You're here because...?"

Seth nodded. "Two reasons. First there's him." He pointed to the cat. "Or her, I didn't look at the plumbing. Dennis loves the cat and we wanted to know if it was safe to keep him...or her."

Garth nodded taking the cat carefully. "Did Bent react badly to him?" Then he smiled looking over the cat. "And it is him, by the way." He looked at the cat closely.

"But it's a black cat, Garth!" Bent repeated not understanding why no one else had a problem with the idea.

Garth rolled his eyes as he continued to look Kitty over. "He had a tough time with Whiskers, too. And she's not even black!" He pointed to a gray cat on the floor who was interested in the new cat in her house. He handed Kitty back to me. "He looks fine, but this could have waited for when we came in town. You rode out here to have me look at a cat?"

"No." Seth shook his head, "Can we sit down?"

Bent nodded and waved to a room with a place to sit. Sitting Dennis down to play with Kitty as Toby tried to coax Whiskers over to him. That's when we explained about what happened in A'Dore and how we discovered the little creatures...then I explained about Len Na.

Garth frowned after we told them to whole story. "So, this...whomever...is going to send sickness to the human race!? Why?" He asked loudly.

"I'll explain more, but believe me when I say, the threat is real. I'm getting Kitty because we had to protect Dennis and Toby! Kitty is compensation to Dennis," I pulled Dennis' sleeve up to show where we'd stuck him. "It's going to happen. We both value you as friends." I stressed. "And with all the strangeness that's happened in Royal Valley, do you doubt it could happen?"

Seth pulled Toby's sleeve up to show his. "We came to you first." Seth said seriously. "I've got to go to Blethos Capital and get Sam and Terry to do it and their children. I won't lose them, and we don't want to lose either of you. We plan to tell Zeke, Gabe, Curt, Daryl...everyone! This is going to happen."

Bent looked at Garth. His mind was working, but he looked at Garth's face as Garth tried to accept what was...unbelievable. Bent looked back. "This is just so....impossible!"

I nodded. "But it is. If you come by the manor, bring the children, we'll show you what we've got. You'll see for yourselves. If for nothing but so you can say you've seen what we're against and convince others to go along with it."

Garth nodded. "We'll be there at first light." He said like it was decided.

"Garth!" Bent said cautiously.

"Bent!" Garth said back suddenly. "These two have been our friends for several years! They've never led us wrong! They stood against charges brought before the king, Seth's own brother, putting their lives on the line when others like us were brought up on charges for loving each other! They got the law taken away allowing us to marry! Erik helped with the measles..."

Bent kissed Garth if to just stop Garth from going on. "I know that honey, but I was worried about the kids!"

Garth smiled and bumped his head on Bent's. "We have to get this done. I can't lose them or you." He put his arm around Bent. "We'll be there at first light."

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