Maria, “I noticed that when you were fighting with the Amalgam! Zarena the way you worked your legs and moved your body my mom identified that as some form of combat technique for high speed sisters.”

Zarena, “It was! But I'm kind of sad you don't know it's name. Would you like me to teach you the basics if I have the time? With the proper fighting technique and your speed you would be quite deadly in almost any situation. What you all need to remember though is that as a species we were considered a master work by the Luvarians. As individuals we are not a master work and they had more then one master work creation. Some of these are even stored in the deeper reaches of the citadel.”

Flora, “I would love to say that we've done a fine job of holding the forest against outside powers but that's not true. We had to call upon allies and awaken you to defend it against the most recent threat. Hey Mina would you mind if I spend some time punching you to develop my form?”

A slight chuckle escaped Mina as she looked over at Flora. “Sure. I am not sure where you should start though. I would suggest my stomach but I'm worried that you'd end up damaging your knuckles punching me in the stomach. It would probably be best if you just focused on my shoulder. Hey I just had a great idea!” As she spoke Mina turned to Kersara. “I bet some of us are thinking about how we're going to avoid damaging the forest while training. We'll just send a group of sisters to the beach to study with you Kersara. If you're willing at least. We could even push for you to be given keeper status so there wouldn't be any confusion about who the teacher is.”

Kersara, “Huh!” As Kersara responded to Mina she couldn't help the shock in her voice. For Mina to openly mention granting her keeper status was surprising especially during such a meeting.

Mina, “Yeah! We've been talking about granting you keeper status for quite some time and I believe you're the best qualified to teach sisters how to train their bodies. The beach would be a great training area as typically sisters are more comfortable letting lose there and while they were there the training sisters could meet with the orcs and help building relationships.”

Alexa, “That is a good idea.”

There were some comments of agreement that ran throughout the sisters ranks. It was Zarena who silenced them all. “I have to admit you're all agreeing a bit more readily then I expected. You all realize that proper physical training isn't easy and there will be pain.”

Tera, “That may be true but I think we've all been feeding on humility for a while now. I've been wondering what I could do to insure this doesn't happen again and learning how to fight seems like a good idea. We really need to find some more effective means of dealing with flying enemies. I was kind of hoping that we could find a way that didn't involve leaving the village though. In fact it'd be kind of nice if the brothers could watch.” Even as the words left her lips Tera was surprised when a sigh hit hers. She knew it came from Zarena.

Zarena, “Well that hasn't changed. A lot of my sisters liked to use the training as a chance to show off their bodies and how capable they were. Especially to show off to the brothers. You should have seen Tamera when she managed to take down a keeper despite being a guardian.” A slight chuckle escaped Zarena as she considered her past. She could still remember her family and friends so clearly despite all the time that had past. Would that begin to fade the longer she was awake?

Flora, “Well at least not all the changes are going to be hard to make. So what else do you need to say?”

Zarena, “Actually this next relates to everything that I've mentioned so far I've noticed some of you giving up your living accommodations for the time being but you're not making use of the citadel. Not only that but it seems that the citadel protectors have become more distant since I slept. I believe that's because you've all became more distant. Instead of giving up your homes I want you all to encourage the most trusted brothers to take up residence within the student and guest area of the citadel. Those rooms are maintained to be used after all. Furthermore you were mentioning finding a local area to practice. The citadel has a testing ground that I want you all to make use of.”

Tera, “Are you saying we should treat the citadel like any other building?”

Zarena, “Of course not! I'm saying you should treat it like the most advance facility in the world for the study and production of mystic constructs. The Luvarians meant for it to be used the protectors maintain it so that it may be used. The fact that you've chosen not to use it confuses me. Of course, the protectors are going to become distance if you don’t' visit them regularly. I believe it's wonderful that you've built a separate library and laboratory for your own use but don't neglect the one that's already here.”

Tera, You didn't have those during your time did you?”

Zarena, “Well they were plans for them but construction hadn't began. Just make sure you thank the protectors for all their hard work. Even if they don't respond to you verbally that doesn't mean they don't appreciate it.”

Flora, “What makes you so certain of that?”

Zarena, “You can tell by their behavior if they like you or not. It can be seen in the way they watch over you or check in on you from time to time. New people the citadel were always watched so carefully but after a while they were left more to their own. Then there was the way they handled you. Like I mentioned to Nathan my brother was once carried from the citadel after his reckless actions put him in danger. He was so worked up that he was actually struggling to escape from the protectors grasp even as she stepped out the door.”

Mina, “They were that close to you and your brothers?”

Zarena, “Of course We worked along side one another every day. I suppose the best story comes from little Litia. At the time she was a very young sister who had developed an obsession with scratching things to bits. One day when her mother wanted to go to the citadel she threw an absolute fit saying the sisters there were mean. It took a while but apparently she had been trying to sneak away from her mother. Each attempt had been blocked by a protector yet they had done it so stealthily that her mother hadn't noticed.”

Flora, “Wow this is an amazing amount to take in. I wonder with everything that we've resolved to do how we should actually begin. If we're going to train we need to know who and win so we don't leave any part of the forest open to attack. There is also the matter of the clean up and insuring that there is enough food.”

Zarena, “I'll finish the clean up if you all will just get out of the damaged section of the town. I wouldn't normally go there but it doesn't look like there is anything to spare. You all can begin working on figuring out where we're going to gather the materials from.”

Tera, “Do you believe we can use the damaged section of the forest that the brothers intend to purge anyway? At least it seems like we should begin gathering resources from there.”

Flora, “That's a good idea. I'm just worried that the material from that region would be tainted. Kersara you're going to be leaving us soon aren't you?”

Kersara, “Yes. I plan on making regular trips back with the help of Maria but I'm not sure if I'll be able to help with much.”

Flora, “Oh? What do you intend?” As she spoke Flora first looked to Maria then Kersara.

Kersara, “Joseph wants to use me as a lab rat.”

Flora, “I see. Oh how silly of me! Maria you should begin scouting the forest tomorrow in order to locate good regions to gather resources from. None of us can survey the forest as easily as you without damaging it.”

Fera, “Actually. Instead of sending Maria off running about how about you let me give some general directions first. I might not be able to run as fast as Maria but I can see potential regions to harvest. As for a training schedule. We are going to be over worked for months. Anyway, as for a training schedule how about we leave that up to our brothers to plan out? They're the ones that keep track of our assignments anyway.”

Mina, “That sounds good but there is another issue. What do we do with the claimed? Keep in mind their work places were destroyed in the kobold attacks as well.”

Alexa, “You're right that is a problem. They really are not strong enough to help with the reconstruction effort.”

Kersara, “You don't believe so? I believe that they could handle it with some supervision. We'll just assign them a small section of the town to work on. Give them the designs and material then put them to work. They would be in our way if we worked together but so long as we give them their own spot to work on it should be fine. I personally believe the first thing they should begin working on is their homes.”

Zarena, “Actually I wanted to speak to you all about the claimed as well. Would you all consider trading with the orcs for certain materials?” It didn't surprise Zarena when the sisters went silent and started looking around at one another. It was true the orcs had their own craftsmen. “I honestly believe that you would save resources if you worked with the orcs instead of the claimed system or at least the way it is currently. I understand that my day came before the outside world turned against us but you do have trading partners now if you'll just look at them.”

Tera, “Are you saying we should release the claimed?”

Zarena, “No!” It was impossible for Zarena to keep from chuckling as she looked down at her sisters. “I'm not saying that. They intruded in our forest and stole from us. They should have to make amends for that. I'm just saying that it wouldn't hurt to become more involved with the others who live in the forest and it would probably serve both groups.”

Alexa, “Well it would mean the claimed could work on other things. I wonder what the orcs would want in return after all they've always been independent as well. I imagine they'll ask for more territory so they can increase their population.”

Zarena, “I wouldn't recommend making that kind of agreement. I'm sure you have things they want you could trade. Just because they can go out and gather slumbers or hunt wyverns doesn't mean that they want to do so or at least not all of them want to be involved in such dangerous activities. See what you can do in terms of trade.”

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Carter took in a deep breath as he looked over the wall of the laboratory. In one day they would be having the ceremony and allowing the sisters one last look at the fallen before they were taken away to be studied. It had been resolved to place all the bodies before the laboratory in the morning and allow final words to be spoken in the evening. With so many sisters dead it was going to be even more unpleasant then usual. It would be extremely unpleasant for him as he had been selected to help study and carry the sister's body.

Mirin, “How are you doing Carter?”

Carter, “I'm not doing well at all but you probably expected that. We have some grim work ahead of us and a lot of changes to be made. How about you?”

Mirin, “I'm just waiting to see what way the sisters want to go with all these changes. That and I was worried about you.”

Instead of commenting Carter gave his hand a slight wave. “I know I was chosen because I wasn't particularly close to the fallen sisters. With so many of them dead at once I'm sure that was rather difficult to pick enough brothers that weren't close. I'm more worried about some of the others. You know we're going to need Dan to help with some of the analysis. Have you told Joseph that we also want him to help?”

Mirin, “Not yet. For the moment I've only informed those who will be retrieving the bodies.”

Carter, “Did you choose yourself?”

A sigh escaped Mirin as he gave his head a nod. “Yes. I couldn't ask you all to do something if I wasn't willing to do it as well. I admit I'm a little worried about Fera. You know she's going to recognize a few of us from our life energy.”

Carter, “I believe Fera is use to seeing things that she would prefer not to. At times I wonder how she processes all the information given that she can see through walls. Just how far can those eyes of hers see and what kind of focus does it require to manage that information?”

Mirin, “Well I'm sure you've used a spell to see life energy before. From what I've seen of Fera however her abilities go far beyond anything I've done with a spell. So any concern about what our sisters are going to decide after tonight’s meeting?”

Carter, “I have no idea. Normally their meetings seem more like an excuse to eat and rough house in an environment that they don't have to worry about harming us. I believe this time will be a lot more serious with all the unpleasant lessons they've had and Zarena there. What are your plans if they resolve that they still won't let any of us become spirit hunters?”

Mirin, “To tell them that we're going to reform the spirit hunters regardless but we're willing to negotiate about who first becomes a spirit hunter. If they're not willing to compromise then we'll begin the training anyway to see if they become physical. If they become physical then well I'll call for all the brothers to stop performing their functions or associating with the sisters.”

Carter, “I do not want to do that last one!”

A slight chuckle escaped him as Mirin noted the energy in Carter's voice. “Neither do I. I've spoken with several of the matrons on this matter though and they've agreed to support us. It's the guardians and lower rank that I believe might be an issue.”

Carter, “Mirin I'd rather refuse to aid the sisters then have the matrons and keepers use their size and strength to force the compliance of the other sisters. Honestly I consider such a notion risky for us to.”

Mirin, “I agree but it's nice knowing we have a few sisters that are supporting us.”

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Mina, “What do you mean I'm not allowed to begin training! It's been over a decade since I was able to actually practice my combat skills and that isn't counting the time I was asleep.”

A sigh escaped Flora as she looked at her friend. There was a quick way to end this debate at least. “You're pregnant! You don't get to strain yourself until the baby is born.”

For a moment Mina was silent and then the realization seemed to sink in. “Oh! Sorry I wasn't thinking.” A sigh escaped Mina as she set down next to Flora again and gave her friend an apologetic look. She had spoken without thinking when they had started talking about training. “We need Kersara to handle the orcs though so who else is qualified to train and can remain with us.”

Flora, “Vera.”

Immediately Vera became alert. She had been silent most of the meeting choosing to watch. To have her name mentioned so openly was quite a strange situation and she quickly began to look around at the other sisters. No words left her lips despite her alarm as she waited to see what would happen next.

Flora, “Kersara has pushed her body to a remarkable level but how many sisters have been trained to kill other sisters and even gone through the trouble of conditioning their claws?”

Now Vera didn't like the way the conversation was going. She was indeed one of the few sisters who had been trained to fight as a matter of focus. It wasn't to fight other sisters exactly but she was prepared for the event where she had to leave the forest. This meant she had to be able to manage extremely powerful enemies without a very large body. “You're mistaken as to the nature of my training. I was conditioned to handle foes that are physically stronger and faster then me but that doesn't mean I was trained to kill other sisters.”

Flora, “So you are a trained fighter then which means you're the best one to teach us.”

The notion of training another sister wasn't a bad one to Vera but the notion of training several sisters wasn't pleasant at all. Immediately she thought of a solution. “Training a great many of you at once would severely hinder the lesson's effectiveness. I'll pick three of you to train and then those three will help teach other students. With everything that's going to be happening we really can't spare more then a few sisters after all. In the mean time other sisters can be sent to Kersara to be trained in the proper way to condition their body.”

Flora, “That is a good idea. So any ideas on who you'd like to train first?”

Someone with high combat potential who was also a quick learner immediately flashed into Vera's mind. “Maria, Mira and Alexa.”

Flora, “Two of my girls?”

Vera, “Maria's speed is an extremely effective weapon but she could learn how to use it better. More importantly she thinks faster and learns more rapidly then any of us. I saw Mira on the battle field and Alexa is naturally studious so she should be a good student as well.”

Zarena, “Actually. I was planning on beginning Maria's lessons considering that her frame is effectively the same as mine.”

Vera, “Will you be around long enough to complete those lessons?”

To this Zarena shook her head. “No. I probably won't be around long enough to complete her lessons. That doesn't mean that I can't begin them.”

Vera, “True but I don't think we can begin training immediately either. We really need to settle on what we're going to begin doing first. I personally believe the first thing we should do is give the brothers a list of who we wish to be trained as spirit hunters. We then need to begin gathering resources and rebuilding our town. We also need to talk to our brothers about keeping Zarena awake until we're at least a month into the combat training.”

Zarena, “Huh?”

Vera, “We're vulnerable right now plain and simple. We destroyed one powerful enemy but that doesn't mean there isn't one, two three or more just waiting to attack us. Until we've rebuilt our strength we can't have you going back to sleep.”

This wasn't what Zarena had been expecting. Due to the drain on their resources it was often important to put a sleeper back to sleep as soon as possible. “I can see your reasoning but you know that keeping a sleeper awake is a massive burden. I'm currently using a valuable resource that could benefit all of you.”

Vera, “Don't be silly. We grew significantly recently so I don't want to hear any complaining about wanting to grow again any time soon. Some of us are still learning to control our new strength and if you don't believe me I've seen a few brothers healing their bruises. Oh and a bit of a side note. If I see Tidon that badly bruised against I'm going to give one or a few of you a very painful lesson in combat. Besides from what Nathan has told me we don't have enough receivers for all of us to begin tapping into the energy source you're using.”

Flora, “Hold on Vera. What's this about Tidon being injured?”

Vera, “He had some deep tissue bruising that required some fairly focused healing. I'm pretty sure there were some fractures as well. Apparently one of us got a little frisky with him and darn near squeezed the life out of him. The fact that someone was dumb enough to have sex with a brother before adequately developing their strength is kind of pathetic considering how over protective we are at other times. Mina none of this is aimed at you. I've never seen Dan with a fracture and he prepares himself for the nights you're going to be rough.”

For a moment Mina was rather surprised when Vera mentioned her though she did feel a bit awkward. She did tend to go a little rougher on Dan then most sisters during special nights. “Thanks but don't you believe you're over reacting a bit? I mean did you speak with the offending sister?”

Vera, “I did and I wouldn't bother mentioning it if it was an isolated case. Let's get back on subject though. If the keepers want to speak about the recent issues with sisters controlling their strength due to their size increase that can wait for another time.”

Due to her position Fera could see the crowd more effectively then the keepers. As she looked around she couldn't help but notice a few guardians looking rather uncomfortable. This actually brought a slight growl from her but she quickly regained her composure. “I believe Vera makes a good case for supporting Zarena in remaining awake and I'm sure the brothers will be happy to have her around. With all the construction efforts they really don't have time to begin working on a new energy delivery system anyway. Speaking of materials. I was thinking we could assign some of the kids to sift through the broken down remains of the old town and retrieve any metals that were missed.”

Flora, “Fera I'm not sure if we can do that. Right now the kids are actually the only ones who can actively hunt. I'm sure you've noticed how few kills are being brought in right now.”

Fera, “We still have plenty of kobold.” Now Fera was surprised as she heard some grumblings from the crowd.

Tera, “Please don't have the children stop hunting. I'm so sick of the taste of those horrible little creatures that I'm starting to feel sick when I just smell them.” It wasn't surprising to Tera whenever several other sisters responded in a similar way. Something about kobolds just didn't taste right to begin with and with the sisters rage fading towards them their taste was become less appealing with each meal.

Fera, “Fine it is hard to work whenever you're eating poor as well. I suppose they have some spell that will just pull any remaining metal from the remains anyway.” 

Lanora, “Hey Fera I've been thinking. Would you be the one to handle training us?” It was impossible for the crowd not to notice Fera's ears twitching upon hearing Lanora's question. This didn't mean Lanora was going to withdraw the question. Fera retained more of her combat skills then any other matron and her eyes could both make her deadly but it could make it easier for her to avoid harming a sister.

Fera, “It's been a long time since I last showed someone how to fight.” As the words left her mouth Fera looked towards Vera who gave her a knowing grin. “If the other matrons want me to I'll teach you all how to fight properly but Lanora you're going to have to be my first student. I'm going to have to practice controlling my hands and avoid going for any critical locations with full killing intent. Your healing ability should keep you safe even if I do so.”

To this Lanora was made to roll her eyes. “That is not comforting.”

Fera, “I can't help it! Though on the subject of training we're going to have to prepare a special group for those with mutations. At least for some of them with mutations.”

Vera, “Don't worry about that! There isn't a mutated sister amongst us that I can't help develop the basics. There could be a problem once we begin serious sparing I admit but I plan on just setting certain sisters against one another or making use of the matrons. Mina or example. Once she's given birth she can spar with Lanora some more or with you Fera. Besides you matrons need to worry about more then enemies that are your size or larger. You also have to worry about enemies that are smaller. Imagine for example an enemy that's as fast as Maria and packing claws like Kara.”

Fera, “That would be bad.”

Zarena, “This is so wonderful. I'm really proud of how willing you all are to change. I know that we still have a lot to do and this is just talk but it seems like we're making progress and prepared. Now if you'd just allow some decent sized pets you could claim to have the wisdom of the old generation and the development of several generations.”

Flora, “What do you mean by decent pets?”

Zarena, “I mean something far larger and more combat capable then a song bird. I'm talking about raised and trained wolves, wyverns, tuskers and a few others that make fine pets if supervised properly.”

Flora, “Oh! Well that isn't just a trust issue when it comes to the pets. We sort of stopped allowing such pets whenever fights began to break out between sisters due to some mishaps in which pets were killed and even partly eaten.” As she spoke Flora knew that her reason wasn't going to hold water with Zarena he was giving her a rather annoyed look.

Zarena, “Those were not accidents that was sisters picking fights with one another. Are you really going to tell me that with our sense of smell you couldn't tell whenever an animal belongs to a sister or a brother? If the tusker is alive, walking around comfortably and covered in the sent of a sister it's a pet. Now I fully encourage responsible pet ownership. We didn't let spike wonder around without his owner except for in his own yard or out in the forest but no one could justify attacking him.”

Tera, “Who's spike?”

Zarena, “Spike was a pet wingless wyvern that belonged to a sister. I know that you all want to protect our brothers but surely you can allow some real pets. A small forest cat or dog would be hard pressed to kill a brother before you could stop the attack and that would only happen if the animal was poorly trained or handled. This becomes especially true once the brothers have been conditioned to fight. Besides I'm sure that some of our brothers would love to have a pet as well and pets like wyverns have added benefits if you can find one that's smart enough to train.”

Flora, “Well. I don't know about pet wyverns but I'm sure we could consider allowing larger pets back into the village. Not very soon but eventually. With all the other changes we're making I think that one should be very low on the list.”

To this Zarena gave a nod. “Yeah that would be the reasonable thing to do.”

Sora, “I hate to break things up but there is something else we need to speak about. How are we going to rebuild our market? We've all grown a great deal since it's original design and who knows how much more we may end up growing. We need to make plans for how we're going to build it. I believe that we should go with the typical Luvarian method and build down instead of up but we also need to resolve how large of a sister the buildings should be planned to house.”

Flora, “Don't forget placement. If we're going to build buildings larger for ourselves then we're going to need to position buildings meant for brothers closer together. That and we're going to have to decide if we want sisters to be able to go into them with our brothers. We should probably first consider the alchemy shop. We're somewhat limited in how large we can make it as a brother is required to run it so the magical items don't end up being ruined.”

Tera, “We could build a large window into it that sisters could use to drop off their goods if the building is too small for them to enter. I don't think that the amount of materials we're gathering from the forest is going to change much even if our ability to gather them increases. We're trying to avoid gathering more after all. So we should keep the alchemy shop roughly the same size. The clothing shop is a bit of an exception though after all if it's too small for us to go into it we can't really do our work.

Lanora, “That's true but not every section of the shop needs to be meant for us. We could have an entrance section for our brothers which would be sized for them while the work area could be meant for sisters. Now back to the alchemy shop where do you all want to put it? I assume we're going to build around the food hall like we did originally.”

Flora, “Of course. I believe it should be on the right side of the food hall. After all sisters who've been out gathering are also the most likely to either want to eat or be bringing something back to eat. That and we really need to insure that our brothers have no trouble traveling. On the topic of special sections we should probably even put a special one into the dining hall for them.” It didn't surprise Flora whenever her ears were met with a great deal of protest.

Ilaina, “Don't do that! I like it when the brothers set with us.”

Flora, “So do I but we have to keep their comfort in mind as well as our own. Seats and tables meant for us could be very awkward for them. We also need to consider how much space we want to dedicate to the dining hall and what resources we want to use.”

Mina, “That all depends on how what size we plan for it to be able to accommodate. I believe our initial plan should call for the dining hall to be able to handle sisters that are up to ten meters tall comfortably.”

Tera, “Don't you believe that's a little much? It would require the keepers to be allowed to double their size.”

Mina, “I don't believe so after all how often do you want to have to rebuild the dining hall? We've only had the life bloom a short while after all and look at what we've already gained. Once the other brothers have finished learning from it and begin applying the techniques to other solutions I'm confident we'll be able to grow even larger.”

Fera, “Oh come on! If we're going to make it that big how about we just go all the way and let me and the other matrons set down to eat? Oh but that brings up another issue. We need to resolve what we're going to do with the matron rank. While I appreciated being allowed to grow recently I've been thinking. The matron status was created to be a final line of defense for the village itself or to handle dangers that were too much for a single keeper but didn't require a sleeper. Even if we stop growing now you all have a long way to go before catching up to us. So perhaps we matrons have grown enough for a while.”

Sora, “I can agree to that. So perhaps we should wait until all our other sisters have reached the twenty meter mark before we consider growing again? Well all the other sisters and me as the smallest of the matrons.”

To this Fera gave a quick nod. “That seems fine with me. Do any matrons have an objection?” Even though she asked the question Fera doubted they would. As a matron their hunger was far less then the other sisters and while Fera wouldn't mind seeing hers decreased it really seemed better to aid the other sisters. After a moment she gave a nod. “Okay. So do you think we could build the dining hall so that it'd could accommodate us or have a section?”

Flora, “I believe so but we're really going to need to build down. We might need our brothers to develop a system of cooking that doesn't involve the use of lumber either. Now since we're building down how about we make the tables into two sides. One for the brothers while the other could be for us with an opening beneath the table for our legs and well in time the majority of our body. That way we could still set with our brothers.”

Stella, “An entire side for our brothers? That doesn't really sound efficient Flora especially as far as managing space goes. I'm also curious what kind of table set up you're imaging. We don't really need the table to be level with us. We could make use of a table that's low to the ground. We could then have a section designated for our brothers.”

Tera, “But I want to set with our brothers when we eat! Them being there is part of the fun.”

Stella, “Well if you want a brother to set with you just have him set on your lap.”

Mina, “That's a little too limiting. As much as I love Dan and he loves me I know that but he doesn't always want me holding him even if he wants to set with me. You mentioned how many resources we're willing to expend but how much work do we want to put into the new dining hall as well? I for one am willing to build it as big as needed so that our brothers can set with us comfortably. I do agree that we don't have to have the table level with us though.”

Stella, “We're going to have to dig down pretty deep to allow for all of this and make sure that oh I had a fun idea. If we're going to be making the dining hall large enough for us to set with our brothers granting them entire table sides to themselves how about we build it so that the buildings the brothers tend to favor are above the dining hall? We can then make tunnels into it so they don't have to walk around on the surface in order to come down for something to eat.”

Tera, “Yeah that would be nice!” As Tera spoke she didn't bother mentioning the fact that such an arrangement would insure her shop remained near the dining hall. “If we're going to integrate the buildings in such a way we're going to have to make plans for comfort and plumbing though. Considering the library and the laboratory that shouldn't be a problem.”

Mina, “That's true. Okay still I believe we need a section meant for sisters and meant for brothers as well. We can't forget the claimed either. I admit they're times that I just want to set down and not have to worry about accidentally snapping someone in half. Unfortunately I hate eating alone and you all refuse to toughen up enough.”

Flora, “Oh very funny miss incarnation of strength. Mina does have a point and let's be honest they're times we eat things that our brothers would prefer we didn't eat around them. I know the more raw our food tends to be the less our brothers want to be around us.”

Sora, “I don't believe that's so much a matter of the food being raw but the food being messy.”

Flora, “That's true. Well actually do we really need a section just for the sisters? If the brothers have a section for themselves they can decide if they want to eat with us or not. If we want to eat alone it shouldn't be hard to find a spot away from them giving how much more space we're going to be taking up. Oh! That could lead to a problem.”

Mina, “What could?”

Flora, “Well what happens whenever one sister is entertaining four brothers while the others can only set around her?”

A slight chuckle escaped Mina as she looked at her friend. “Well I have a mate so that doesn't matter to me. I believe you're just worried about what will happen when sisters get angry with you for hogging all the brothers.”

Flora, “Mina! I simply have a few brothers who I know very well and they know me.”

To this Mina gave a nod. In truth Flora only slept with a few of the brothers however they were quite comfortable with her and only tended to sleep with a few sisters as well. In many cases these arrangements were borderline to being mates and what the majority of sisters sought. “I know. Anyway I'm sure we can all agree that the brothers can decide who they want to set with and how much they want to space out. Now if you happen to find a group of brothers setting together and take the spot across from them then it's first come first serve of course.”

Stella, “That's going to eventually lead to a fight and you know it.”

Flora, “Probably but they can vent their frustration in the ring. I hate to bring us back to less pleasant subjects but just how much should our brothers develop their combative abilities. Zarena you mentioned what your brother could do but we really need to give them some kind of bench mark for them to shoot for as a minimum.”

Zarena, “Whoops! Well the original notion was that a brother should be able to defend themselves long enough for a sister to come to their aid at the very least. The typical notion was that if they can hold off a sister for three to five minutes then they're relatively safe but that wouldn't work with this generation of guardians. Especially after you begin training how to actually use your bodies effectively. I believe that if a brother can hold off either a wyvern or a group of tuskers he would be good enough. Oh! I know. Two brothers should be able to travel for let's say three days in the forest without aid from a sister and survive just fine. That is travel on foot relying only on none magical provisions and their own spell casting abilities, combat skills or alchemy potions.”

Flora, “That is a good idea! We could even have a sister travel with them to observe and save them if the need should arise. Naturally if they need to be rescued they need to go through more training.”

Zarena, “Thanks. It isn't perfect but as the forest has changed we need to make sure that the brothers are keeping up as well.”

Stella, “The sisters can't help but what would we do about outside interference such as a druid aiding them or a group of orcs?”

Flora, “I believe they should politely decline their offer as this is a test for the two of them. We'll need to make sure that one brother isn't doing all the work as well.”

Lanora, “That sounds right. After all the goal is to insure that they can survive in bad conditions not that they are lucky. I swear I can think of a few brothers who aren't going to be the least bit happy with these changes. At what age are you thinking we should begin testing them?”

Flora, “It should probably wait until they've began working with the other brothers.”

Stella, “What about lessons though?”

Flora, “Well as far as magic training or alchemy we should probably leave that up to them. There is no reason that we couldn't help with their physical combat training though. I think each brother should at least know the basics. That's all I wanted to know about how we'd approach our brothers combat training.”

***********************************************************************************

It was hard for Joseph to set still as he considered what he had been told. Today they would be having the funeral for those sisters who had died. He didn't have to carry the bodies of the sisters but he would be helping to examine them. It was surprising how much this thought bothered him. He had worked with human corpses before mostly the corpses of soldiers. So why did the thought of working on a sisters corpse upset him so? Was it the level of importance that was put on the act? The fact that sisters died so rarely? Perhaps he just wasn't comfortable working on women or any other number of reasons.

One thing Joseph did know was that he didn't know how to approach Maria about it. He needed to speak with someone who had a better idea of what they were doing. Yet there was another issue in all of this. He had been working on various theories in regards to the bodies of sisters and this would give him a chance to test that theory if the others approved of it. He wasn't going to speak to Maria about it however even as she stepped into the room packing a plate of fruit, bread and meat. “Good morning.”

Maria, “Good morning Joseph. So did you enjoy your little talk?”

Joseph. “Not really but it was a useful conversation. Maria I know I didn't know the sisters but would you mind taking me to look at them? If I'm not mistaken only brothers that were extremely close to the sister or part of their family are allowed after the sun goes down.

To this Maria gave a nod. “Yeah. It's so we don't know who actually took the body away. If you were all there except for a few then we'd know who the cloaked figures were automatically.”

Joseph, “How are you holding up?”

Maria, “I'm surviving but I'll be a lot better whenever tomorrow comes around I promise. It's not really that they're dead that's the worse part. It's the fact that I couldn't protect them. Even with all my speed I couldn't save them. Then along comes Zarena and spends most of last night pointing out our numerous failings and well.” For a moment Maria felt her throat beginning to lock up. She had been holding herself together but with the event so close she could feel tears forming. It helped whenever she felt Joseph's arms wrap around her.

Joseph, “It's not your fault. We all had a lot to learn.”

In response to Joseph's hug Maria slipped her hand under Joseph's rear and lifted him into the air so his arms could wrap around her neck. “Thank you. Thank you for wanting to see them as well even if you didn't know them that well. Just eat your breakfast and clean up then we'll go and you can see them.”

There was no way Joseph was going to ask Maria what he should do while working on a sister's body. He knew he would end up being saturated with the sent of the dead while working with her remains but perhaps there was a way to clean it off. He should have asked more questions whenever the messenger had delivered the news. “Maria if there is anything you want to talk about I'm hear to listen.”

A sigh escaped Maria and she began to lower Joseph to the ground. “I knew them but they weren't my close friends or the such. They were my sisters though. When I think about how I'm feeling I can't help but wonder how Mina must have felt whenever her mother died. I wonder if going to sleep like that helped with the grief or if the pain was still there whenever she woke up again. What about you though? I mean. You haven't seen your family for years now and I'm the one who helped take you from them. How much did that hurt?”

Joseph, “It's not the same Maria. I hadn't seen my family for quite some time whenever I began working as a royal alchemist. Besides it's not like I could have returned to them whenever I chose to leave the court. Anyway, I'm the one that chose to become a brother in the end.”

Maria, “Thanks. Who knows perhaps after all these changes are made we'll be ready to open ourselves up to the outside world again and I can take you to visit them. Well after you're done with your training and passed your test.”

Immediately Joseph locked onto Maria's last few words. “Wait. What do you mean training and test?” Even now Maria tended to make sure that Joseph exercised daily in order to maintain his physical well being. He could still remember her motivating him to exercise whenever he'd first joined their community and how painful that motivation could be. What had they resolved during their last meeting? At least it seemed to have Maria's mind off her fallen sisters as Joseph saw her smile.

Maria, “We resolved last night that the sisters had gone over board with our protective desires and actually hurt our brothers. You need to know how to defend yourself. So from this point on we're going to start having the brothers train in combat more extensively based on what their primary skills are. We've even worked out an idea how we might test our brothers to see if their combative abilities are where they need to be.”

Joseph, “How did that come about?”

Maria, “It was Zarena who made the strongest case for it. What she argued was that a strong target is easier to defend then a weak one. No matter how strong the guardian is the notion that a strong target is easier to defend then a weak will always hold true. So we're going to make sure all of our brothers are strong targets from now on.”

Joseph, “I see. Well Maria you know I'm not a mage.”

Maria, “Don't worry! We know that alchemist rely on their mixtures and creations so you'll be allowed to use them. You'll just have to make sure that you're always prepared to some degree and that you can use them in a combat situation. I'm sure you got plenty of experience with that during your training outside the forest though.”

Joseph, “Maria. If I had that kind of training would I have needed you to save me from those soldiers?”

Maria, “Oh. Good point.” Before continuing Maria placed her hand on Joseph's right soldier completely engulfing it. “I'll be with you every step of the way to give you all the love and encouragement you're going to need to make it through.”

That was not encouraging immediately flashed into Joseph's mind. Just how combat capable did the sisters intend for the brothers to me. “What kind of test do you have in mind anyway?”

Maria, “At the moment we're thinking of using the forest. The general idea is that two brothers should be able to travel through the forest for at least three days without requiring any aid from a sister. We also intend to limit the provisions you bring along as well. I'm not sure how intense the training is going to be or how long you'll have to prepare. I suppose that will be up to you and the other brothers to work out.”

Joseph, “Do we get a say in if we do this or not?”

Maria, “Hm. I don't believe that you do. With the way the brothers have been pushing for the spirit hunters reformation you really can't afford to show any sign of weakness. Refusing to undergo training that would help better your combative ability would really look bad as far as the spirit hunter training goes as well.”

He had to agreed to these sort of happenings. Joseph had known that at times the sisters would force their will upon the brothers. He had been warned about it before he even became a brother and experienced it to some extent. Then he had joined and it hadn't happened. The brothers and sisters seemed to know their rolls pretty well so neither group really pushed the other. Now the sisters had resolved that changes had to be made and he was going along for the ride apparently. “So what else did you decide?”

Maria, “Lots of things really. We worked on the new layout of the town, resolved that matrons wouldn't be growing any larger until the rest of us caught up, decided on who we'd support to become the first spirit hunter, we resolved that the sisters needed more combat training and decided that we would force those brothers without mates to live in the citadel. There might be a few things I'm forgetting at the moment but that is the bulk of what we resolved.”

Joseph, “It sounds like you resolved quite a lot. So which one are you going to take care of first?”

Maria, “Naturally the first will be the one that's the most easily accomplished. Whoops I almost forgot. We're also going to argue for Zarena to be allowed to remain awake for at least a few more months. Anyway, we're going to begin relocating the brothers to the citadel pretty soon unless they seriously object. Then we're going to have to take the time to argue the point with them but I'm sure they'll cooperate in the end especially when we give the reasons.”

***********************************************************************************

Carter, “Hey. Hey! What are you doing with that! Tera you bring that back right. Hey!” As Carter called out he couldn't believe what was happening as he felt a set of hands take hold of him. Nora was of course helping her friend which meant helping to relocate him. It was actually rather on the annoying side though they weren't damaging his things.

Tera, “Now Carter this is a decision that we all agreed upon last night. Brothers who don't have a mate and aren't living with a sister are to be relocated to the citadel.”

Carter, “I never agreed to this!”

Nora, “Well the decision was made by the sisters last night and currently has the support of most of the rank eight brothers with a few who haven't spoken up on the subject yet. Nathan and Mirin have already been moved into their new rooms.”

Carter, “Been moved?”

Tera, “Yes. Well apparently Sora anticipated there might be some resistance so she moved Mirin to the citadel during the night. Nathan on the other hand had apparently been setting up waiting to speak with Zarena and she told him what happened. She helped him to move as well and several of the other brothers.”

With the sisters supporting this move in mass and the three clawed brothers supporting the move as well Carter knew there was little he could do to stop it. He didn't truly mind but he hadn't expected them to begin gathering him and his belongings up like this. “Be careful not to break anything in that case. So any idea whom I'm going to be sharing a room with?”

Tera, “No one to my knowledge. Any apprentices or guest that were staying at the citadel were apparently meant to be rather important. The rooms were designed with two people in mind at most and that won't be needed. At least we believe that they were designed with two people in mind at most. When we described the rooms to Zarena she seemed to think something was off and even theorized that the citadel protectors might have modified the rooms since her time. She even went so far as to suggest that perhaps the protectors were trying to encourage the brothers to come live within them.”

Carter, “Huh? So they're not just carrying out some kind of preset routine?”

Tera, “Zarena sure doesn't believe so and if her memory is accurate we've made a lot of mistaken assumptions over the years just because they don't communicate directly. Sort of perhaps instead of communicating with us directly they communicate through the citadel and we simply haven't figured out how to ask it a question yet.”

Carter, “That does sound possible. That or perhaps the citadel's capability to communicate was damaged whenever your energy supply system was damaged as well. That or perhaps they lost the ability whenever the remaining ranked Luvarians either left or were killed. Then again perhaps in our ignorant exploration we triggered some kind of security setting that prevents them from telling us anything.” Even as he spoke Carter wasn't thinking about speaking to Tera anymore. Rather his mind was going through all the reasons the protectors might have gone silent and what they might due in order to restore that ability or convince them to speak.

Tera, “Just make sure that the if you do get them to speak the first thing they don't say is get out.”

Carter, “Can you imagine if they had a few centuries worth the grievances they had been wanting to say to us? We might have to take shifts letting them scold us as a community just to get through it within one life time.”

Tera, “Please no! We were already scolded by Zarena the last thing we need is the original sisters to tell us everything we've done wrong. We might all have to start wearing something over our faces.”

Carter, “She got you all that good huh?”

Tera, “Yes! The fact that she's one of our ancestors coupled with her massive size made it even worse. I felt like I was a little child once again listening to my mother scold me for hurting a brother. It was so hard to remember that I was an adult especially with all the keepers and matrons there. I believe most guardians felt like we needed to find somewhere to hide and just let the big sisters speak.”

Carter, “So the guardians just remained quiet?”

Tera, “No. I and a few others spoke up. It was really hard though.”

Carter, “Good for you. Hey wait. Are you all doing this so you don't have to build as many homes and thus can expand the market area without influencing the overall size of our community?”

Tera, “Oh! That is a good side benefit.”

***********************************************************************************

Joseph felt both grief and a bit awkward as he walked amongst the fallen. It was far more tame then the field hospitals he had been to especially when the healers began to tire. The sisters bodies looked remarkably intact almost to the point they might stand up again and begin to move around except in a few cases. Truly the body of a sister didn't decay like that of a human body. He was surprised by how few were currently at the site but considering the size of the community it wasn't too out of place. It was clear that Maria wasn't comfortable so he was holding his tongue even as he approached the sisters. He hoped that he wouldn't have to be the one removing material from their corpse.

Maria, “You've been rather quiet Joseph. Is there something that you'd like to know?” Maria knew that Joseph would be wondering about the ceremony but was holding his questions in. She was actually grateful for this as she felt some pain in her throat as she looked at her dead sisters.

Joseph, “It's fine Maria. This isn't the time for me to be nosy.”

Maria, “I've spoken to some of our brothers about how they handle deaths in the outside world. We don't give speeches about the dead. Rather each sister takes some time near the body to take in her scent, listen for her heart beat and even feel the body is cold. After that we typically take some time to cry but that is anything but quiet. We'll talk amongst ourselves and eventually the time to take the body away comes. We all watch that happen. I know it might seem strange to you but we rely a lot on scent when identifying someone. So we remember the scent of our dead sister then when we smell it in their home or lingering somewhere in town we know that scent will fade.” As Maria finished she felt her lips quiver for a moment as she fought back a roar.

Joseph, “Thank you.” The sisters weren't like humans. They used talking to communicate but it wasn't the only means. By smelling a sister they were communicating with the dead. He had no doubt the scent of a dead sister was different then that of a living. Was that what they were waiting for during these days? For the scent of the sister to change to that of a dead one? In doing that perhaps the deceased were telling the living sisters they were gone? Maria had mentioned smelling the sent of a sister in town but what about the scent that lingered on the brother who had done the study? Joseph gave himself a mental kick as he felt the questions continuing to build even as he walked to another fallen sister.

It was strange. As Maria looked down at her sister she found herself standing behind Joseph as if hiding from the body. Something about having him between her and the fallen served to bring her a bit of comfort despite the situation. It actually surprised her whenever she felt Joseph's shoulders underneath her hands. His right hand had reached up and taking hold of a few of her fingers though he didn't turn to face her but continued to look down at the sister.

It was amazing how heavy Maria's hands felt. Joseph had no doubt that she was keeping the bulk of her mass off of him but they still felt strangely heavy. “Is there anything that I can do? I know there is nothing I can do for her but what about the other sisters? Her parents?”

Maria, “When it comes time to examine our bodies if you're part of the team that does it make sure that it means something. We're built to be guardians after all. Knowing that our bodies were used to better the community we love helps.”

For a moment Joseph felt like he would be crushed. Normally he would have thought that being given permission to examine a sisters corpse would make the task easier. When he realized how much importance they put on this though it actually made the burden heavier.

***********************************************************************************

Kiara, “Hey sister what brings you here.” As she spoke Kiara reached down and slipped her hands underneath Julia's arms. She didn't give her a chance to protest as she lifted her into a hug.

Julia, “I was hoping I could remain here for a while to finish forming the memories I gained from the two dead sisters. I'm becoming somewhat concerned for my safety at this point. That or would you mind transporting me to the citadel?”

Immediately Kiara went to fully awake as Julia's mentioned her safety. “Um pardon me but this sounds bad. Now are you worried about another sister harming you due to the knowledge you're absorbing and why aren't you already at the citadel? All brothers who don't have a mate were suppose to be relocated there this morning.”

Julia, “Yes while I am not certain I believe that the memories I have could prove very bad for a certain sister who's name I'm working on piecing together. Now what do you mean already relocated to the citadel? Is that what you all settled on last night? I was at the laboratory all night working on a few things.”

Now Kiara was even less happy with the current situation. “Okay first thing I want you to cover your ears. You're going to the citadel where you'll be safe with the protectors and we'll find the room your stuff is in. I'd best make sure there is no sisters waiting at your old home to tell you as well. Then we're going to have a talk about what you remember.”

Julia didn't need to ask why Kiara wanted her ears covered. The moment Julia did so she could literally feel the power in Kiara's roar. A few moments of relaxation served as the code and Julia knew Kiara had asked for other sisters to come to their location. She was rather surprised whenever she heard a rather powerful thump almost immediately and the door opened to a rather annoyed looking Vera.

Vera, “Ouch. You know I was within general talking distance.”

Julia, “Vera have you been watching me?”

Vera, “Of course. You're currently processing memories that could get a sister severely punished if not killed. Other then checking on some brothers and the meeting watching you has been pretty much the only thing I've been doing.” As she spoke Vera continued to rub the outside of her ears waiting for the ringing to go away. “I was hoping that if there was another sister at fault she might try confronting you and I could resolve this all very quickly. Oh and Kiara before you get upset. I have no intention of letting any harm come to Julia, it wasn't certain if another sister would pose a threat to her or not and I would have resolved the situation before an attack could have been made.”

For a moment Kiara felt like a hand had been slapped over her mouth. There was one question she wanted to ask though. “Was Sora involved?”

Vera, “Yes. That shouldn't be a surprise she tends to be involved in anything that requires a sisters attention without anyone knowing that one is there. Anyway, I take it you want me to help walk Julia to the citadel and insure that she's safe.”

Kiara, “It would be appreciated but what about your plans?”

Vera, “It's too late now. Julia I have been wondering. There was a sister that went missing during the fight. Have you managed to remember anything about her?”

Julia, “Not a thing.”

For a moment Vera was silent. Two sisters were found dead but what if the other had known who the person at fault was? Perhaps they had taken the time to be rid of the body. “That is troubling. Can you give me the name of the person you believe is responsible or any details?”

Julia, “No name yet. Her fur tends to smell of smoke with a slight sweetness to it. I remember that I remember the scent but I don't know how to put it into better words.” For a moment Julia went silent and tried to bring up the memory. There were more details to the scent then that but how could she put it into words so that a sister would understand her? Unfortunately the only thing she felt building was a head ache

Vera, “Smokey scented fur with a slight sweetness?” For a moment Vera was silent. She knew of several sisters that could easily fit that description. For a moment a grin formed on her face. “It was Kiara!”

Julia, “What! Gah!” Immediately Julia felt her fingers tingle as she forgot herself. A slight rush of energy hit her and she looked towards the floor to see where she had damaged the wood from drawing in some energy. “Kiara I'm sorry.” Before she could hear Kiara's response Julia was surprised to hear Vera trying t keep from breaking down laughing and looked to her.

Vera, “That was not intended Julia I didn't meant to make you slip up like that.” Even as she spoke Vera found herself struggling to sound serious while fighting her laughter. “I forgot myself for a moment and thought to tease you a bit.”

Instead of feeling angry Julia actually found herself smiling a bit. “Wow Vera is teasing me.”

Vera, “Just don't tell anyone I did it. It's good that you're remembering but how sweet are we talking about? Kiara smells sweet and smokey whenever she works in the dining hall to prepare some honeyed meat which.” Once again Vera found herself going silent and had to swallow in order to empty her mouth. “How long since we had honeyed tusker or dear? I didn't realize I was this hungry for good meat.”

Julia, “I'm sorry I have the sisters memories but I can't access them that easily. All I have is how sweet things smell to me in order to compare and that wouldn't help you. This wasn't a rare occasion though rather this sister always smelt of smoke and sweetness.”

Vera, “Always? That helps me remove a few names at least. Okay Julia do you want me to pack you or your sister.”

Kiara, “You. I'm still tired and don't want to risk stumbling while packing my sister.”

Vera, “You look plenty awake to me.”

Kiara, “Trust me I'm not.” As she spoke Kiara was made to remember how much she disliked the sun light. At times she wondered if she was biologically inclined to sleep during the night so that there would be some sisters that guarded at night. The notion that it was the result of years of conditioning also seemed possible.

Vera, “Okay Julia are you ready to go to the citadel and take a look at your room?”

Julia, “I believe so. I should mention Vera I believe I know what happened with both sisters. It seems that they were both told a similar story. I can't remember exactly but I remember the same sister telling them something and each one of them felt a remarkable amount of anger towards the other sister. I'm not sure how you want to handle this.”

Vera, “We're going to need the exact words but I don't know what will be done about it. To provoke two sisters into fighting one another for personal gain is shameful. However, what if she was just telling either sister the truth? They were the ones who chose to turn on one another in the middle of a battle after all. We're going to need to know what sister it was and what each sister remembered being said. Then it's going to be up to the brothers to handle the information.”

Kiara, “Any sister that would manipulate another into fighting each other at the very least shouldn't be allowed to be a guardian. I can understand her not coming forward though if all she did was tell them the truth. She could have been a friend to both sisters and her attempt to resolve a conflict ended up making it worse so now she's feeling guilty and fearful of what's going to happen to her.” A sigh escaped Kiara as she considered the possibility. “What would you want to do in that situation?”

Vera, “Well if all she was doing was trying to resolve a conflict and it ended up making things worse then it was just her trying to do the right thing at the wrong time in the wrong place. Hm in that case what happened was a tragedy but I wouldn't be too hard on her. I know what it's like to try to do the write thing for someone only to have them take it the wrong way and suddenly the situation has become even more dangerous. Julia you seem a bit fearful for your safety during this time though which leads me to believe this was intentional.”

Julia, “I really need the words. I just get the feeling that what each sister was told was very similar as if they were both being lied to.”

***********************************************************************************

Dan could tell Mina wasn't comfortable as he walked amongst the bodies. She was currently standing a good distance from them watching him very closely. He imagined she was having a hard time. Mina was so proud of her big strong body especially because she could use it to shield her sisters. Now she was looking at several sisters she hadn't been able to shield and he knew she was upset. As he looked back at her Dan noticed Mina's hand was currently resting atop her stomach as if covering it. He imagined she was thinking about her child now and how to shield it.

Even as she watched Dan Mina was having trouble resisting the urge to pick him up. Seeing him amongst those bodies reminded her of the fact that despite all her strength she could lose someone she cared for. Soon she would be bringing someone else into the world to care for as well and in the moment she was frightened. Would she really be able to protect their daughter from all the dangers the world had to offer? Given the dead sisters before her the answer seemed to be no and Mina was grateful they would be undergoing more intense combat training.

Every brother would most likely show up at one time or another to say good by to the bodies. Even those brothers who would be the ones to carry them away. As Dan looked at the corpses though he was made to wonder who had been given that unpleasant task. Unlike the sisters he could look into it but wouldn't. If he was to find out there was a chance another sister would see what he was doing and would realize who it had been. With this thought he began to walk back towards Mina. It was strange to be walking amongst the corpses without a priest but the sisters had something of a religion of their own. What sister had first asked the Luvarians what happened whenever they died. “Do you think they could be raised as sentient undead if someone knew how their bodies worked?”

To Dan's question Mina looked to the bodies for a moment. “I don't know if I hope they would or they wouldn't. I would prefer if they moved on to whatever awaited them next and hope it would be a life with no hunger but plenty of loving friends.” As she spoke Mina wondered how likely that was. The body of a sister was an extremely powerful magical construct. It required a powerful spiritual being in order to power it. Powerful spiritual beings if born human tended to make for very powerful mages if they were trained. “Do you think that might have become another form of construct?”

Dan, “It's possible but would you want that?”

Mina, “I'm not sure it depends on how they were used.” With Dan almost within arms reach Mina took a step forward and picked him up. This was the only reason she allowed her hand to leave her stomach. “Do you ever believe that humans might be magical constructs or have started out as one?”

For a moment Dan was silent as he considered Mina's question. “Well they're some faiths that claim humans were crafted from clay. Given that we share something in common with the golems. If that is the case I can't help but wish they'd used some better clay.”

A slight chuckle escaped Mina as she pressed her cheek against Dan's. “So perhaps all of us are just some form of construct? Hm but if you were made from better clay that could be a problem. Can you imagine if every human shared the same problems as a sister?”

Dan, “If humans had bodies like you sisters then this world would be a waste land as we'd already consumed all the resources and died out. Hm then again it might be quite a nice world if we're talking a few thousand years down the line after the natural world has had time to recover. In any case you, our sisters and especially out daughter is as human to me as any human could ever hope to me. I wonder if there is a better word for that.”

Mina, “A better word for what?”

Dan, “I don't like saying that you're as human to me as humans. We must be a terribly prideful bunch if that's the way we describe things. You and our daughter are more persons then me then most people could ever hope to be. I believe that's better.”

A slight giggle escaped Mina as she gave a nod. “Hey Dan. If you were to make it simpler by saying that a mystic construct is a being made by humanoids then what would you call a sentient being that was made by a dragon?”

Dan, “Insanely dangerous. They're records of dragons who crafted sentient guardians to protect them while they slept or to protect an important place to them. All of these records talk about how powerful they are.”

Mina, “You know that's not what I mean.”

Dan, “Okay let's make a better definition then. A construct is any being who's body was designed and built by another intelligence.” As she spoke Dan pushed back against Mina so she would move him away from her body. He felt a little awkward whenever his arms were fully extended against her shoulder and he was still looking down at her breasts. “Could you move me a little further back? I want to speak to our daughter for a moment and your breast are in the way.” It was a relief to Dan to here Mina chuckle and then comply with his request.

Mina, “What do you want to tell her?”

Dan, “I don't know what I'm going to do when you come out of there. From the way your mother is behaving you'll be the first sister that has been raised like a brother.”

Mina, “I'm not going to be that bad!”

Dan, “She's fibbing. I'll try to sneak you away to have some fun every now and then if she's too protective.”

An annoyed snort issued forth from Mina and she pulled Dan back against her body. “Don't listen to your daddy he's being a bad influence. Bad influence!”

***********************************************************************************

Stella, “Allen are you alright in there?”

Allen, “I'm fine mommy.” A sigh escaped Allen despite his best efforts. Currently he was relaxing in a bath of warm water while his mother was suppose to be reading. He suspected that she was spending all of this time listening to him which made him feel a bit awkward. At least she wasn't coming into the room in order to make sure that he was clean anymore. That or to insure that he didn't slip whenever he climb out of the water. Tonight was going to be an odd night.

Stella, “Okay honey. Now are you sure that you're fine staying with Nathan even though they moved him into the citadel?”

Allen, “Yeah. I'm looking forward to having some time to look around the citadel.”

Stelle had to bite down on her lower lip at her son's response. She didn't like the idea of Allen wondering around the citadel and getting hurt or worse but she had to relax. The citadel was probably the safest place in the forest for her son to be especially while the majority of sisters were saying their good byes to the departed. “You remember to get behind your ears right?”

Allen, “Mom I know how to bath myself.”

Stelle, “I know Allen I just worry about you is all.” Even as she spoke Stelle knew that she was going overboard. It was difficult to keep her mouth from opening up though as her thoughts kept turning to her son and the up coming changes.

Pera would be at the ceremony to say good bye to the dead sisters. Allen had already been there with his mother. He only knew one of them fairly well but it still hurt to see his sisters dieing. He remembered watching Pera and her friends playing. They would slam one another into trees hard enough to make the tree crack and cut through stone with their claws. The adults were even bigger and stronger and now twelve of them were dead due to ugly kill kobolds. His mother had shown them to him before while out hunting and of course he had seen them during the clean up. How something so small and ugly could take down something as powerful and majestic as a sister made him wonder. It didn't seem right and it didn't seem possible.

Stelle, “Allen are you okay?”

Allen, “I'm fine mom.” If Allen stopped washing himself or talking for just a few moments his mother felt the need to check up on him. He felt confident that he was clean enough now at least and began to climb out of the bathtub. It felt strange gripping the side of the tub if he did so. What were the odds of him actually falling? He was confident that he wouldn't but knew if he did Stella wouldn't let him bath by himself for weeks. What was she going to do whenever it came time for him to begin learning how to fight? How would his mother respond whenever he came home with bruises?

When the door opened Stella immediately turned her attention to Allen. “Do you feel all nice and clean now?”

Allen, “Yep. How mom I was thinking while I was bathing. When I begin learning to fight with the other brothers you know they're going to have to toughen me up. The longer I wait to begin conditioning myself the more work they're going to have to do. So maybe you could let me walk more places on my own and you know try some other games.”

It was true what Allen said but Stella had to bite down on her lower lip for a moment to avoid an immediate no. “Sweet heart. How about we have this conversation after the ceremony? Mommy's head isn't quite where it should be right now.”

Allen, “Okay.” As Allen spoke he wondered if he could play fight some with Pera. He had seen brothers and sisters do so before often with the sister only using part of her body. Mina was constantly smacking Dan with that tail of hers. “So can we go to the citadel now?”

Stella, “It is about time.” As she spoke Stella began to walk over to pick up Allen but she stopped herself. “Do you want to carry your bag for the first mile?”

Allen, “Yeah!”

Immediately Stella was made to regret her choice. Allen quickly dashed to his room and retrieved his bag. Hearing him grunt and watching his tiny body strain as he walked towards her made Stella want to pick her baby up so badly. If it hadn't been for the look of determination in his eyes she probably would have done so. Even for a human child Allen was a small boy. He just didn't know it as they were so many young human children around for him to compare himself to. Would her baby be able to make it a mile carry a heavy bag? She made sure her little body was healthy but Stella had never pushed him to try resistance training after all.

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Julia, “Hello Stella, Allen. I hear you're going to be staying here.” As she spoke Julia looked up from her seated position in the library towards Allen and Stella.

Stella, “Hello Julia. Do you know where Nathan is?”

Julia, “He told me that you would be coming by. Nathan is currently book hunting you could track him down easily enough but if you want I'll watch Allen for the time being.” As she spoke Julia risked taking her eyes off Stella and Allen to look towards the far wall. She had noticed her before but only caught glimpses as she seemed to be patrolling. Currently the protector had stopped and was looking strait at Allen. Without realizing it she had also prompted Stella to look at the protector.

Stella, “Well Allen it looks like you have someone keeping an eye on you other then Julia. Are you okay staying here or do you want me to look for Nathan?”

It took Allen a moment to respond. Coming to the citadel was a rare event for him and it was always a remarkable site. The stone walls, floor and ceiling seemed to glow with their own light making it seem like the alchemical candles weren't needed at all. The intricate carvings that covers the columns and doorways reminded him of the alchemical and mystic symbols he had seen from class while a warmth seemed to invade his body telling him that he was safe there. He figured Stella had to ask him if he'd want to stay twice as he noticed her looking down at him. “Sure. Hey Julia what are you doing?”

Julia, “I'm just looking at some of the information pertaining to the spirit hunters and referencing it with some of my knowledge of necromancy to see where in the training I would actually be. I believe I'm going to need to start learning to direct my own magic into my body to allow me to better resist the influence of spirits and to make the transition between here and the spirit plain. Apparently repeated journey's similar to what the spirit hunters would do could be taxing if you weren't prepared. Magic is a lot more abundant in the shadow realm as well so you need to be able to resist mystic poisoning.”

Allen, “My teacher told me about that. He said if there is too much energy in the area your spells and potions can become unstable or worse. Then if the magic is really bad you can actually die even if you don't try to use any magic.”

Julia, “That is correct. Now do you know what happens to your body whenever that energy is too abundant?”

Allen. “No. He just said it was dangerous.”

Julia, “What happens is your body begins to soak up the energy as well. Once you have so much in you the body attempts to use it but if you don't have a mind that's been trained to use such excess energy it becomes unfocused and chaotic. So you might end up trying to heal an injury that is no longer there or improperly strengthen part of your body. Eventually your body effectively begins to tear itself apart as it struggles to release the excess mystic energy contained within it.”

Allen, “Is that why even too much healing magic can be bad for your body?” As he spoke Allen walked over to Julia and set down. He doubted that he would be able to understand the books she was reading but he was curious about the spirit hunter one.

Julia, “Oh yes.” As she was talking to Allen Julia couldn't help but notice Stella. “I guess you're having trouble leaving him with someone other then a sister. Don't worry Stella. They're protectors all around us and one of them is even keeping an eye on Allen.”

A sigh escaped Stella as she gave a nod. “Just please keep him safe for me while I'm gone Julia. I don't know what I would do if something happen to my son.”

Allen, “Mom! I'm fine.”

Stella, “I know honey. Okay I'll see you two later.”

As Stella finally walked out of the room Julia looked down at Allen. She had noticed him trying to sneak some peaks at her book and was made to grin. “Now Allen I don't want you even thinking about trying what you see in these books. This is meant for experienced mages and alchemist. If you want to know what you should be doing to become a spirit hunter you need to work on learning to channel your magical energy.”

Allen, “I already know that though. I can activate an alchemical glyph all by myself now.”

Julia, “Can you control the flow of energy into it? Can you direct what type of energy you send into that glyph.”

Allen, “Well not yet but.” Allen went silent as a book suddenly in front of him while a protector was standing next to him. It felt like his heart had stopped as she looked down at him for a moment before walking off leaving the book behind. He didn't realize his jaw had fallen open until he felt Julia's fingers pressing against the bottom of it.

Julia, “I told you that she was watching you. Now what is this?” As she spoke Julia lifted the book the protector had left for Allen. “Okay you're going to need some sheets of paper, some ink and a pin.” As she spoke Julia began to gather the materials for Allen from her own stash and set it in front of him.

Allen, “What is this?”

Julia, “It's a book on mystic energy filtering and channeling as well as basic spell casting using glyphs. Now let's see what would be a good one to start you with. Do you think you can use this glyph?” As she spoke Julia turned the page to show Allen an alchemical glyph consisting of three large leaves and a serious of intricate markings contained within as if they were the plants arteries if a very complex group of passages.

Allen, “I can't do that! I wouldn't even be able to begin drawing it.”

Julia, “Really? Then how about you draw this one first?” Once again Julia flipped through the book before setting it down showing Allen a far simpler image.

Allen, “I can do that!”

Julia, “Okay. Now I want you to draw this in the center of the paper and make it about the same size as my hand. Then we'll see if you can activate it.”

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As Flora stood over the fallen she took in a deep breath. She could smell her sisters around her and the bodies as well. The scent of the bodies were somewhat stronger then the other sisters and now it carried a different note to it that wasn't normally included in a sister's scent. She was on the seventh body now and she was feeling rather light headed not because the scent was powerful but because it repulsed her. She had smelt it before but never had to spend so much time taking it in. As she finished she felt a pain in her throat whenever she moved to walk away from the body and onto the next. She could already hear the sister behind her moving up to take in the scent.

Even though she had been their earlier with Joseph Maria still found herself taking in deep breaths trying to keep calm and keep from crying. After a moment she couldn't hold it any longer and her mouth opened letting lose a roar that carried a fraction of her pain with it. This was joined by several other sisters who remained in line to smell the bodies. She felt a set of hands on her shoulder and looked back to see Stella standing just behind her.

Stella, “They were some good sisters in that bunch. Several still had a lot to learn but I'm sure that they would have.” As she spoke Stella looked off towards where she knew Zarena was currently waiting. The massive sleeper hadn't come to see the bodies yet. It seemed likely she was waiting for them to clear out.

Maria, “I went hunting with them every once in a while and we played. Agna was really good at cooking you know that? She was picky about it too she wouldn't eat raw food like most sisters but would always insisting on cooking it. If I'm going to be limited to such tiny portions then they're going to be tasty portions.”

To this Stella gave a chuckle. “I remember. She fought so hard to keep a patrol that would be close enough to the town that she could continue coming in for cooked meals instead of having to eat in the forest. She was given such a hard time over that but in the end another sister changed paths with her and she was able to stay close to the town. I wonder if that was a mistake.”

Maria, “You're thinking that if she had spent more time hunting she would have been more aware and better prepared?”

Stella, “Yes. We believed that we were well enough prepared to handle any threat to our home but we weren't.”

Maria, “It was kobolds though. One of the weakest creatures in this forest if they're by themselves. They're even some insects that are more dangerous then a single kobold.”

After a moment Stella gave a shrug. “Their numbers and the ease with which they may be manipulated given the right stimulus make them powerful tools it seems.”

Flora had made her way over to the seventh body now. This sister brought some additional pain. She had come to her asking for some advice about romantic involvement with a brother and some advice on sex. She was frightened that she might end up injuring a brother whenever she squeezed her legs together. Flora had told her some exercise and sexual games to play in order to practice controlling herself. From what she smelt and what she heard from the brother's whispers it had worked extremely well. 

Alexa had been one of the first sisters there and was now waiting beyond the group that was still examining the bodies. She was setting quietly having had a little time to sort out her feelings even if they weren't entirely resolved. Her eyes turned to the brothers waiting at the door of the laboratory cloaked in their robes. She couldn't smell their scent due to the magic filtering it from the air and she couldn't hear their heart beats. Currently they remained silent and hardly ever moved. Did the brothers by any chance use simple golems to retrieve the bodies but let the sisters think they were alive so they wouldn't attack? It seemed silly but it made Alexa wonder.

Phinila, “How are you doing Alexa?” It was clear Alexa wasn't doing very well as Phinila noticed her give a slight jump.

Alexa, “Oh. Hello Phinila I'm doing alright I suppose. I'm going to miss them.”

Phinila, “I will to. We used to go hunting together or visit while Pera was away playing with Allen or off tracking her father.”

Alexa, “Wasn't that just about all the time?”

Both sisters gave a slight chuckle while Phinila nodded. “Yes my little girl has already made quite a strong claim to Allen. The fact that she seems to have Stella's approval helps even more. After this I believe she's going to go visit her father.”

Alexa, “Does the death of the sisters have her thinking about her father?”

Phinila, “Yes but not for the reasons you may think. Desmon has more experience with death then any of us. At least more experience with the deaths of those close to him. I believe she's hoping to find some answers from him.”

Alexa, “If she does maybe she can pass it on. I. Do you ever wish that we could been a reformable class of construct? You know like those golems that had their intelligence contained in a core and to remake them all you had to do is recover that core?”

Phinila, “We would still die the enemy would just have to be a little more thorough. Besides I don't think any of us have the resolve to live forever.”

Alexa, “That's true. How do you think the citadel protectors do it?”

Phinila, “Perhaps they don't. Perhaps whatever spirit or existence that holds that body passes on in time and the empty shell has to be born again. We don't know. Twelve guardian class sisters dieing is going to influence the amount of food being brought in. We'll have to extend the paths some of the sisters guard which means they'll be returning to town less often. Coupled with the fact that we're going to be missing twelve hunters the food just won't be as fresh for a while.”

Alexa, “Yeah but at least we were allowed to eat well before this happened. Everyone was so happy to be allowed to grow larger and feel their hunger shrink. It was so much fun to open up the old food stores. I caught Lidra sneaking some early bites of her favorite food several times. The look on her face when she realized a keeper had seen her sneaking food was so worried.”

Phinila, “Well I'd be worried to!”

It was impossible for Alexa to keep from chuckling. It was nice to lighten the mood for a moment. “I reminded her that we're allowed to eat and she immediately relaxed. What did you do whenever you learned what happened on the beach anyway? It was suppose to be where the lightest fighting was.”

Phinila, “The first thing I did was nearly fall over then I asked Pera what had happened and if her friends were okay. I was relieved they had been kept safe though I was worried whenever I learned they had helped with the fighting. You should have heard Pera talk about the orcs and their shaman. It seems my little girl was being a bit forward with Allen.”

Alexa, “What happened?”

Phinila, “She got excited and let it slip that Kersara had to break them up and give them a little talk”

Alexa, “Well we do need new brothers and sisters but they're a little young for that.”

Phinila, “Very true! Speaking of new sisters what do you think of Mina? She's too big for the child to really show but.”

Alexa, “You can smell it she's pregnant and not far off. It's clear that she's going to begin lactating soon. How big do you believe we're going to allow our young to grow? I mean do you really want to make our children suffer through a time of hunger?”

Phinila, “Of course not but how much power can we trust a child with? We already have to be careful to insure that they don't kill a brother and even now injury is possible.”

***********************************************************************************

Mina was currently a few sisters behind Flora with Mira standing along side her. She was grateful for Mira's presence as she felt Mira helping to hold her up whenever Mina's body threatened to fail. How often had she volunteered to take on some assignment stating that there was no danger to her while there was to a weaker sister? Her strength and endurance had made her feel unstoppable. Yet she hadn't been able to protect her sisters whenever the battle had really began. To make the situation worse she had been kept away from the front line. “How much of a difference do you believe I would have made if I had been there to help fight the Amalgam?”

Mira, “I don't know. How much difference do you believe you would have made when compared to Zarena?”

For a moment Mina went silent but then a chuckle escaped her. “You have a good point there. I'm used to thinking of myself as big and powerful but compared to Zarena I'm really not a threat at all.” Mina forgot the conversation as she found herself taking in the scent of another dead sister. She didn't need Mira to help support her this time but it was nice having the sister there. “You're handling this all very well Mira.”

Mira, “Thanks. I believe I had some practice whenever I learned that I had an older sister who had been put to sleep for growing beyond what she was allowed. She may not have been dead but for a few decades she was dead to me.”

Mina, “I have had experience with actual death and it doesn't make it any easier. You're a strong girl Mira.” As she spoke Mina left the body behind and looked forward she had three more to finish. Flora had already moved on and seemed to be thinking a little ways off. “Your mother was awake the entire time that I was asleep. I know that we're the same age in some ways but in truth she's lived  more then I have.”

Mira, “Mom is pretty shaken up by all of this as well.”

It was easy for Flora to hear Mina and Mira despite the other sisters and she took in a deep breath. Mina's strength was most likely the cause of her problems now. Mina was so confident in her ability to protect the other sisters that when faced with failure she had trouble handling it. There was another complication as well. Their bodies drew power from their spirit. Whenever the spirit was weakened so was the body. A mutated sister's body put more stress on the spirit which meant even slight weakenings were felt more. Flora was glad that Maria was doing alright because she would need to tend to Mina. Mira on the other hand was being quite impressive.

***********************************************************************************

Julia, “You know you're going to have to be careful now. Pera might get upset if tell her what happened and then she wouldn't let you come back to the citadel.” As she spoke Julia looked over at Allen who was still working on directing energy into the mystic glyph. It was proving rather hard to activate and he wasn't even certain what it did only that Julia had told him to do so.

Allen, “Why would Pera be jealous?”

Julia, “Well you clearly have that protectors attention. Do you think Pera is going to be able to stand for another sister showing such interest in you? After all how often do you hear about protectors bringing brothers something? She must think that you're cute.” As she spoke Julia was surprised to notice the protector in question again. While she couldn't see any color changes in her face due to the fur Julia got the feeling she was being glared at. Her body language had shifted as well. The protectors tell had stopped moving and was slightly lowered.  Her claws were relaxed and her eyes remained normal. As if the protectors body language was saying she was annoyed.

There was no immediate response from Allen as he didn't know what to say to Julia. It's true that he never heard of the protectors bringing brothers books. “Maybe it's because all the other brothers have moved in already.”

Nathan, “Did I hear you right? Did you say that a protector brought Allen here a book?”

Julia, “Well hello Nathan. Yes. We were talking about magic and out of no where she drops off a book for him to read.”

Allen, “How do you know it wasn't for you!”

Julia, “Well it was how she set it down of course and how she looked at you. A woman knows those looks and that book was for you.” As she spoke Julia could see Allen blushing and had to fight back a chuckle. Nathan's arrival apparently wasn't helping the boy.

Nathan, “A protector bringing a book to someone because she overheard a conversation. That's amazing.” As he spoke Nathan took his eyes off of Julia and Allen to look at the book that the protector had brought them. He recognized it. They had several copies of the book in the library. Why had the protector chosen this book for Allen to read. “What were you talking about exactly?”

Julia, “We were talking about controlling the flow of energy into a mystic glyph. Then the protector suddenly comes over to Allen and sets the book down right in front of him.”

For a moment Nathan said nothing. The book was a wonderful listing of glyphs and techniques to combine different glyphs to form more powerful ones. It wasn't something that they used as a tool to teach how to channel ones mystic energy as they tended to favor items for such things. Did the protector know something that they didn't know about this book. “Well then I suppose that you should give it a shot.”

To Allen this was all very strange. He hadn't expected a protector to show such an interest in him and he wasn't sure what to do with the book. He had finished drawing the glyph on the paper due to Julia's encouragement so he could try. “Okay.” Placing his hands on either side of the glyph it actually surprised Allen whenever he felt two fingers take hold of his left wrist and lift it off the paper. The fingers were that of a sisters but he looked up to see the same protector looking down at him.

Now it was Nathan's turn to be surprised as he noted the protector looking down at Allen. Protectors rarely even stayed in the same room as the brothers or sisters but this one seemed to be trying to guide Allen. “It seems you have your own intentions for young Allen. Would you mind if we watched?”

Lestel chose to ignore Nathan and Julia as she removed Allen's left hand from the paper. He needed to direct energy into the glyph not pull energy out as he was directing it in. This was the habit of young Luvarians in training. Have them learn to channel with one hand at first then let them use two once they learn to do so. If the child was to learn to channel with both hands then when he tried to use one the energies could damage the cells in the one hand. Having him learn with one while his energy was still weak was safer and more effective.

Now Allen felt even more nervous. He still found himself trying to direct energy into the glyph and allow it to trace the markings on the paper. The fact that he hadn't bothered to ask Julia what kind of glyph it was didn't set in until he felt it beginning to awaken and gave a sharp yelp suddenly pulling his hand away. “It was doing something!”

Both Julia and Nathan turned to Allen but it was Julia to spoke. “Oh I can feel it. Good job Allen. Now can you do it again?”

With the two elder apprentices occupied Lestel chose this time to leave them. The flooring of the citadel had been reinforced with magic so she could move more quickly then she could outside without damaging it. She was confident they couldn't have tracked her movements as she retreated back to the books even if they had been watching. As she looked at the young apprentice she was made to smile. It had been a whim to help the boy but it had been so long since Lestel had seen a female apprentice and this one was helping a young male apprentice. It brought some memories of the past and with what they were studying perhaps they would become more then apprentices.

It had only taken a moment but Nathan noticed the vanishing of the protector. Apparently she had done what she intended. “I'm beginning to believe that we made a huge mistake by not training or studying in the protectors presence.”

Allen, “Julia what does this glyph do?”