by Lee Morgan
Sarah looked up and finally found her voice. “Head Elder Sorono, I would like to introduce you to my firstborn child. Her name is Pearl May.”
His brother smiled without showing his teeth. He dropped to one knee and moved his head in for a closer look. Sarah held her ground while Sorono peered and sniffed the child. He leaned back and mentally thought for everyone. “Welcome to the world, Hatchling.” Pearl heard his thoughts because she squirmed just as much as Darrel, but they didn’t cry out.
“Sorono,” his attention turned to Connor. “I would like for you to meet someone very special. Meet my son, Darrel.”
His eyes narrowed when he processed what was said, but he wasn’t the first to speak. “A BOY!” Jack shouted in shock. Sarah turned to look at her father as he spoke again. “What… How?”
“Father, be patient!” Sarah chastised. “Connor said he’d tell us. I’m just as confused as you are.” Everyone went silent as his mate turned back to him with expectant eyes.
His eyes had remained on Sorono while his peripheral vision catalogued the movements of his mate. Sorono’s expression went from confused, to suspicious and then altered to understanding within five seconds. Now he grinned and showed all of his teeth. “Now I understand. Back when we were” He looked at his mate and Sarah. “worried for our mates, you were about to tell me a theory that had become a fact. This was it, is it not?” Connor smiled and Sorono looked up to process this new and valuable information before reconnecting with everyone. “This future study is looking more promising than I first thought. I’m looking forward to the future, but first, may I hold my nephew?”
Sarah then asked defensively. “Have you ever held a child other than a Keeper before?”
“Indeed I have. I was there for the first birthing of the first Balancer. Since then, I’ve held over a million newborn hatchlings and half of those were human before we immortals went into hiding over a thousand years ago.”
Sarah looked at Connor worriedly, but knew it would be disrespectful to not allow someone so important to hold their son. He then looked at Sorono and asked “Alright, but can we have a compromise?” His brother suspiciously nodded once. “Sit down and get comfortable. I know your strength, so please be extra careful.”
“That would be a request, not a compromise. And it is one I’ll gladly accept.” He then sat completely on the ground and opened his palms and put them together. He then locked his muscles to become as still as a statue.
Taking the hint Connor walked forward and gently placed Darrel in the V of Sorono’s smoothly scaled palms, while avoided the extended and sharp claws. Everyone watched in silence as he studied the newborn. He looked impossibly serene despite his daunting presence.
After a minute, the silence was broken by Shannon. “Sarah, may I see what your child looks like?”
His mate looked down at the young female Keeper and said “Wouldn’t you rather hold her like your father is doing with my son?” Shannon’s little golden eyes glanced at her father and Sarah. She returned her excited eyes to Connor’s mate and began nodding vigorously.
“Connor, you may have your son back.” Once Darrel came safely back in his arms Sorono looked to his daughter. “Shannon,” his tone became a calm warning. “Do you remember how carefully you felt Sarah’s pregnant belly? … Good, now you must be even more careful than that because Pearl is very fragile right now. We do not want to harm those we love. In time Pearl and Darrel will become someone you will cherish more than any physical object. You don’t want to harm them do you?”
“Of course not, Father. I will never intentionally harm them.”
That is all that Sarah needed to hear. Because of Shannon’s smaller proportions she couldn’t hold Pearl like how her Father did with Darrel. Shannon listened intently to Sarah’s instructions on how to carefully cradle and hold a human baby.
Then before they knew it, Shannon was feeling giddy and letting out a hissing giggle as she held Pearl. She was being extremely careful so as to not harm the daughter. Sarah stayed close, just for an emergency. When Shannon began walking Sarah matched the short and careful steps. They walked right up to Veronica and Shannon introduced Pearl to her mother. Veronica gave words of praise to her daughter for being so gentle. Sorono and Connor watched all this with grateful and serene eyes.
He sealed off his mind and entered Sorono’s. He felt how Connor’s mind became shielded and knew that they were going to have a private conversation. “Isn’t that a beautiful sight? Despite our appearances, we are all family.”
He smiled and turned his large eyes to his daughter. “Indeed it is. That was the main reason that I created the Mélange. Before humans became sentient the Keepers had a meeting once every one hundred years. Back then there wasn’t much to do except live day after day and survive against dangerous animals and the harsh environment. You’re lucky you didn’t live through the ice age. Just the memories keep me cold at night. The only thing I miss from that time is mammoth meat. I could live two years off just one, ten if I chose to hibernate. But Mélange was made for everyone to come together and become one greater family. It is like the human’s United Nations. Only we get more done because we work together, like a family.” Sorono grinned.
“I cannot dispute that.”
Soon after Shannon returned Pearl to her mother, their link severed. Sarah walked up to his side with a grateful smile. “Do you think it’s time that you finally explain Darrel’s situation?”
“Not just yet, Princess.” He turned to look at the impatiently waiting group. “They need their turns.”
Together they walked up to the crowd. They stopped a few yards back and Sarah spoke confidently. She even surprised herself. “Please come up two at a time. If you swarm us again you won’t get to hold them. Got it!?”
“YES, DRILL SARGENT!” Kara shouted and saluted.
His sister grabbed her mate’s arm and drug him across the lawn. Jack grumbled that he wanted to be first. Rhoda said they could go next. Kara stopped in front of Sarah and opened her arms into a cradling position. Soon she started cooing to her new niece.
Mark had cut his hair earlier because it was now short and spiky. He still wasn’t wearing a shirt, which made his muscles stand out. The firelight made him look dangerous, but his silver eyes were serene. Connor’s best friend is well centered, but in a fight, he’d hate to be the target of his anger. Mark smiled at him with pure white teeth and then looked down into the curve of his right arm. He was calm in asking “May I?”
“Sure, Bud.”
Like Sorono, Mark locked his arms in place as he sat Darrel in the arm cradle. Mark began gently swaying back and forth while Darrel was sleeping once again. Then Connor recognized from the stillness of their eyelids, that they weren’t sleeping at all. Mark then said happily “I hope you’ll be as much trouble as your father.”
“He’s already being a trouble maker.” Mark looked up at him with a confused expression. Off to the right the other women matched his expression. Connor looked at Pearl and saw that she too wasn’t truly sleeping. “Right now they aren’t really sleeping. Alright kids stop pretending and open your eyes.”
“Connor, what…” Sarah said and he watched as her expression changed when he pointed at Pearl.
Both of their children reacted to his words, just like they did with Sorono. Pearl seemed a little more active and she was the first to open her eyes. Sarah gasped when she finally saw their daughter’s eyes. Pearl’s had slightly more green in her irises than Darrel did, but she still held a lot of hazel.
Then Mark stated in wonder “His eyes are open too.”
Both Pearl and Darrel tried focusing, but they had a difficult time. Connor knew how to help them out. “Mark, may I have Darrel back.” His best friend nodded and returned his son to him. Once cradled in his arms he spoke softly. “Alright son, focus on my voice. Use your eyes to calmly find mine. Take as much time as you need.”
Remarkably it only took a little over a minute for his
eyes to learn on how to focus on his father’s. To his right Sarah was doing the same with Pearl. She also coached softly. Soon her eyes were locked on her mother’s. While staring at Pearl, his wife asked “Connor, what is going on? Do they understand us?”
He spoke to her while keeping complete eye contact with his son. “Not entirely. Right now they are learning our words. Here let me show you.” Connor held his left hand, open and between Darrel and himself. “Darrel, this is my left hand. See those moving things. Those are my fingers. Can you show me how you can move your fingers?”
Darrel’s eyes studied his father’s fingers for a moment and then began trying to free his arm from his towel. Connor helped him by loosening it. He brought out his right hand in front of his face and looked at them with strange interest. Then he began wiggling his tiny fingers. “Very good.” He said with honesty.
As he kept wiggling his digits, he turned to see Sarah with wide eyes. “How can he understand? Most Balancer children cannot do anything remarkable for over six months, when they learn to talk.”
“That’s because they aren’t Balancers.” Sorono stated. “Connor, I think it is time you tell everyone everything. Maybe then they will understand what your children are, the way they are.”
“Alright, but first I’ll need to be free.” He returned his eyes to his son’s. “Darrel,” he stopped wiggling his little fingers and looked up to him. “Someone needs to hold you while I talk to everyone. You may choose who you want to hold you.” The look in his eyes said he understood the gist of the words. He then adjusted him so that Darrel could see around for himself. Connor pointed and small eyes followed the finger. “This is your sister Pearl and your Mommy.” She smiled and her emerald green eyes were twinkling when Darrel made the instant connection. Connor shifted the direction of his finger to everyone he spoke of so Darrel could make a connection or a correlation to them. “This is your Aunt Kara and Uncle Mark. Over there is my mom and your grandmother, Jenny. Those are your mommy’s parents and your other grandparents, Jillian and Jack. Next to them are your great-grandparents, Rhoda and David.” He then turned around and pointed up. “This is your other Uncle Sorono and Aunt Veronica. Lastly this is your cousin, Shannon.
“Darrel,” his eyes reconnected with his Dad’s and he was still expressionless. He hadn’t yet learned about expressions. “it is your choice. Who would you like to go to?” It took a minute, but he touched his fingers to Connor’s chest. He shook his head and said “Not me, you need to pick someone else.”
He shook his head in mimicking and touched his sternum again. “I think he wants you to turn around.” Mark assumed.
Sure enough that is what Darrel wanted. He then pointed to the silver haired grandfather. He didn’t know how to point exactly so he wiggled his fingers in the expressed direction. Jack’s brow furrowed as he pointed to himself. “Darrel, do you want me?” In response Darrel’s tiny fingers wiggled even more energetically. Jack cautiously moved forward and his azure eyes were locked on his first grandson. Everyone became quiet as his actual Viking and father-in-law moved closer. Jack reached out and he sat his son in his arms. Darrel quit moving his arm and held the connection with Jack’s eyes.
“Alright,” Connor started to say for everyone. “now it’s time that you hear what I’ve figured out about our children.”
When her mate said our children her expression and mood had taken a darker path. Sarah evened her voice while her father stood a few feet away while staring lovingly down at her son. “How long has this been going on, Connor?” His eyes widened when he could hear the hollowness of her voice. “How long have you known that I was also carrying a boy?”
His smile was placating and it became difficult to look at him when it made her feel like the bad guy. “Sarah, I’ve known about him for over six months.” He admitted to everyone. He then looked to the side as everyone began walking over to hear what he had to say. Jillian moved by Jack’s side as he still held Darrel with reverent pride. David and Rhoda stood to either side of Sarah and they were multitasking. They were staring at her wide eyed daughter while listening to their grandson. Then he finally began explaining.
“Before we left for the meeting last year, I didn’t have all the correct information and so my theory was relatively skewed. Back then we all thought that I was just a strange Balancer. Only using the available knowledge at my disposal, I came up with the idea of why mated Balancers can only breed daughters. It turned out to be the truth amongst real Balancers, like you and Jack.” Connor was speaking to Jillian right about now. “And then we went to the meeting. We didn’t have a single legitimate clue as to how I was different, until Sorono told me that we were Harmonizers, that were given life from the Hallowed Mother.
“Once I was told that I was a Harmonizer, most of my theory’s had changed and there were many new ones already forming. The biggest change was about myself and what possibilities could be done.” Then Connor turned and set his predatory eyes on Sarah. “When we became mates, neither of us knew what would come of us. We didn’t know that I was already destined to become an immortal. We didn’t know I wasn’t exactly human when we blended our souls together. When we fused our souls, you unlocked my hidden powers. Unlike when a Balancer chooses a human mate, you didn’t change any part of me. That being said you didn’t change what kind of offspring I would give you.
“Sarah, I’m like Sorono.” Her eyes shifted and saw Sorono’s large eyes staring calmly at all of them. “He was born a Harmonizer, like me, and has proven that he has a son. Knowing this, I knew that we could bear a son because of our circumstances. And that’s not all.” By now her jaw was hanging open and her lips were parted in disbelief.
“Like Keepers, our children are going to be unique. Why do you think that female Balancers and a Keepers egg take so long in coming to the world?” No one had an answer, but the calm look in Sorono’s eyes said that he did. “The reason the gestation period is so extraordinarily long is because of our children. They develop slower and as a result they have larger mental faculties at birth, along with the ability to manipulate energy later in life. Their bodies are perfect so they don’t need to rush into adulthood.” He then grinned and looked up at Sorono. “I’m just guessing, but the moment after Shannon hatched she was similar to my children. Am I close?”
Sorono shook his head. “You are not close. You are dead on. Less than an hour after hatching she began studying and mimicking our movements. Through flesh or shell they can hear words, that is how they can slightly understand the meanings you speak. By the end of the week your children should be able to communicate like Shannon does. But the only difference between them and my daughter will be how they move. My guess is that your children will take more time to learn how to walk. I seriously doubt that in two weeks they will be able to do it.”
David then spoke in a flabbergasted tone. “You mean that they will be able to communicate with us by this time next week?”
“Indeed, but it could be sooner from looking into their eyes. The more situations and more languages they hear, the quicker that they will learn. Do not enter their minds until the time they enter yours first. I did it to Pearl and Darrel only so that they could understand my words. I have better focus and control of my mind so they wouldn’t be harmed by my intrusion. It could be dangerous for them if you try entering their mind if they aren’t ready. I’ve already asked Shannon and Veronica to refrain from using their telepathy until they reach out and make contact first.”
“If that’s the case,” Sarah said and looked down at her perfect daughter. “then we should get started. Pearl?” Her little hazel and green eyes narrowed and focused on her mommy. Pearl knew her name and reacted to being called. “You heard what your Dad said to your brother. Can you point to who you would like to go?”
Her head gently turned away and it was then that she knew her daughter is as special as her son. Sarah adjusted her so she could see everyone. She looked at everyone who looked back in silence. She
then managed to reach her arm out and began wiggling her adorable little digits at a very special person.
“Uh oh. It looks like we’ve got a little daddy’s girl.” Kara announced with a laugh. She took a step closer and raised her arms. “Pearl, are you sure you don’t want to come with your number one aunt?” Pearl shook her head slowly and continued wiggling.
“She’s made up her mind.” Jillian said with a giggle.
Connor smiled a new smile. It was a smile for his daughter. It was a soft smile of fatherly love. “Pearl, we have all night to be together. All four of us.” He corrected. “Right now you should meet everyone.” His sight moved around one and all. “Alright Pearl. Look for your great-grandfather and show him that you want to go to him.”
David moved over once Pearl began searching. Once she found him she reached out and wiggled her fingers, like her brother had done. David greatly accepted his great-granddaughter. Then he and Rhoda cooed and talked with her.
Connor moved to Sarah’s side and wrapped a loving arm over her shoulders. Without looking away from their children getting passed around she asked quietly “Why didn’t you tell me that we could have a son, but not even mention it when you saw the evidence inside me?”
“The only reason I kept it hidden was because it was a miracle. I wanted to see your expression when you found out we were the first to conceive a male child. But there is a slight misfortune.”
Her heart began beating rapidly in response to his words. She didn’t know if her son is in danger, but what could be misfortunate? “What do you mean?”
“They are fraternal twins. That means that we have used up two of your four eggs. I wondered where one disappeared to when we found out. Normal twins are a copy of each other, but fraternal are from two separate eggs. That means that they will only have two more siblings in the future. I didn’t mean to worry you, my love.”
Her worry eased and she leaned into her husband’s side.
About twenty minutes later Veronica gained everyone’s attention. “Since this day has been so joyous, it is time to give some congratulations.”