The Fire and The Storm - The Nexus of Kellaran #2 novel Chapter 54

Part 10

“I’m getting to be a better spell-caster than they are, and they’re getting to be better than me at everything else. And their determination and drive is just amazing. I only work so hard because they do, and I don’t want them to think less of me. They don’t need anything to push them to work that hard. I don’t think anyone could stop them from doing it!”

“Ah, my daughter, I know exactly how you feel. For most of my life I’ve been overshadowed by Yazadril’s intelligence and experienced wisdom, and lately we’ve all been overshadowed by Mark’s magical ability, the nobility of his character, and his new wisdom. The day we first met the gods, he made me feel like a coward by comparison, so incredible was the bravery he displayed.

“And I’ll admit that there’s been times when it bothered me, being overshadowed like that. To almost be the very, very best, but forever destined to be second, or third, or whatever. But most of the time I’m just extremely thankful to have them in my life, to have their help and support, and their love.

“Besides, one never knows how life will turn out. Yazadril wasn’t the fastest learner when he was young, or very powerful, nor was he very notable in any way until he was almost three thousand years old. Now he’s universally recognized as the mightiest of elves, and the finest military commander in the world. With the possible exception of your father.

“Eventually you’ll find your own place in life, and then it won’t matter. I’m Princess of The People of Life, perhaps the mightiest of elven nations, and when I’m with them it doesn’t matter that there are others who are greater than I am. I’m the leader of my people by their choice, and if I say that they should do something, they’ll do it, even if everyone else in the world disagreed with me, including Yazadril or your father. And that’s enough for me.

“And truly, even that doesn’t matter to me very much anymore. I have you and I have our family, and most days I feel half-drunk on love and happiness!”

“I know Mother. I know I really have nothing to complain about and a lot to be thankful for, and I know it’s petty of me. But sometimes it still bothers me.”

“Hm. Why don’t we take a few hours and have some fun, just you and me? No learning or combat or competitiveness, we’ll just have fun. What do you think?”

“That sounds good to me.” Valentia smiled as she sat up, brightening. “We could go flying, and have a picnic lunch by the ocean.”

“Then we will.” Alilia smiled as she stood with her daughter in her arms, and carried her into the kitchen to pack their lunch.

PART 11

Eight months later, Valentia was four years and seven months old, a hundred and four centimeters tall, and weighed eighteen kilos, which made her a bit bigger than average for a human girl her age.

The twins were five years and two months old. Helemia was only eighty-four centimeters tall, and just less than fourteen kilos in weight, which made her smaller than average for an elven child, or extremely small for a human.

Reggie was a hundred and twenty-five centimeters tall, weighed twenty eight kilos, and was already the size of an average nine-year-old human boy.

All three children were developing extremely quickly. The twins had already lost most of their baby teeth, and Valentia had lost half of hers, leaving them all with gapped and uneven smiles.

Karzog was almost twenty years old, and was almost nine meters long from his nose to the tip of his tail, but he still had the slim build of a young dragon, and his neck and tail made up most of his length. Despite that and the light bones of dragons, he already weighed over eighteen hundred kilograms, and was bigger than any dragon his age had ever been before.

The four of them lay on the grass after sparring, Healing, and Restoring the back yard valley. All of them were breathing hard, and the children had been so tired and sweaty after fighting that they’d removed their armor and weapons by Translocating out of them. Karzog lay on his belly fanning himself with his wings, and occasionally turning his head a bit and burping a bit of smoke and fire out of the corner of his mouth.

“We’re ready.” Helemia stated.