The Fire and The Storm - The Nexus of Kellaran #2 novel Chapter 189

Part 26

“Neither did any of The Forty-Four.” Six noted, with a proud grin and a quick fist-clench to the pack of twelve-year-old siblings under his command. “You showed some fine discipline there, brothers and sisters.”

“Yah, at this rate we’ll make diplomats and academics of you yet!” Fire commented with a quiet laugh. “You’ll be able to withstand a veritable infinity of boring speeches!”

Meechla, the smallest of The Forty-Four, appeared standing directly in front of Fire, and snapped an exaggerated salute along with a click of her boot-heels before standing rigidly to attention. “Yes Sir Commander Fire Princess Helemia Ma’am!” the tiny warlock yelled in a piping voice that sounded three years old, saluted again with an even-more ostentatious motion, and disappeared back to her seat amidst the laughter of her platoon-mates.

“And don’t you forget it!” Fire yelled back with a playful grin.

“You know, I’m almost entirely sure that she was being sarcastic that time.” Six stated with a completely straight face, which drew another round of laughs.

“True, but as long as she’s disciplined and respectful, I’ll let it pass.” Fire returned.

“Besides, Meechla is far too cute to get mad at anyway!” Val giggled.

“You take that back!” Meechla yelled in mock-anger from her seat near the back of their section.

“I won’t and you can’t make me!” Val laughed back.

“No?!” Meechla demanded, appearing before the Governors again with her tiny fists on her hips. “Well if you don’t, I’ll put a million copies of this all over Kellaran!” she stated as she cast a quick Illusion of a formally executed and framed painting. It showed Val with one finger in her mouth and a bashful, infantile expression on her face, her hair in dozens of braids each secured with a big pink bow of ribbon, wearing a toddler’s-style fuzzy pink dress accented with dozens more big pink bows, sitting cross-legged on a huge pile of fluffy pink stuffed animals. It was a parody of the cliché style of formal portraits that many human parents had painted of their babies, and it was the most magnificently tacky and tasteless overdose of cuteness that anyone there had ever seen.

“No! I give up, take it away!” Val laughed as she turned her head and raised her hands in mock-horror. “I take it back, you’re not cute at all!!”

“And don’t you forget it!” Meechla triumphantly crowed, and went back to her seat as the Illusion vanished.

As the chuckles continued, Talia mused; “You know, there are very few artists who could produce such a detailed and original picture from their own imagination in such a short time. That was actually very impressive.”

“Thank you Mother Talia!” Meechla called from her seat.

“And she’s quite attentive!” Talia added with a smile as she stood.

“Use the privacies if you have to.” she advised the children. “I’ll be right back with some snacks and drinks.”

“We’ll help you carry them Mother Talia!” several of The Forty-Four called out, so she took them with her.