Chapter 10 Part 4

Nikki and Calista rocked the pair of tiny babes. It had been the Creator Himself who had confided the deception that House Blackheart had done to her. He had then returned Nikki's own child to her womb and the elf maid gave birth to twins.

The babes were only three days old when Sounder of the Charge, the great thunderbird, landed in the clearing outside the cabin in the Glade. Avery and Ultrecht dismounted and the kilobel departed.

Moments later a large silver dragon landed and Armegon and Sam joined Ultrecht and Avery. The quartet approached, Avery caught sight of the scene before them. Nikki and Calista held the babies up for all to see.

Avery stopped cold in his tracks. The ranger, who had won the Sword of Justice, who had escaped from the prison world, who had alone infiltrated the inner sanctum of the most dread fortress in the world, who was known throughout the northeast as the mythical Forester, who had faced the dreaded Abomination, the god eater, did the only appropriate thing he could do in that situation. He fainted.

Armegon and Ultrecht also did the appropriate thing. They ignored the healer laying flat on his back and closed in to view the new addition to their family.

Calista held up one infant. The unmistakable upswept ears and golden hair was true to his nature. The child was an elf. When it opened it's eyes, a pair of steel gray orbs glittered in the morning light.

Nikki showed the other prize as well. "He is actually the blood of House Blackheart," Nikki said, "but we shall raise him our way. We will try to replace the traditional Blackheart traits with peace, patience, knowledge and character."

"We’re all one family," Armegon said taking the elfin infant from Calista. Ultrecht took the other babe from Nikki. It was black eyed and topped with midnight hair.

"Joined forever by the power of the Tome of Creation," Ultrecht explained. "Armegon, Avery and I will always share a bond, a singularity of mind that can not be breached. We shall all be fathers."

Calista took Sam by the hand, and the two walked off into the forest. Nikki woke Avery and the four adults stood silently admiring the newborns.