The Books of Kaltar Farsara Boxed Set - Books 1 through 3 (The Kingdom Kaltar Farsara Built)

by Ivan Bridgewater

  The three of us got to the doorway of my new home. We stood talking for a minute, and then April told us, "I want to go check on the twins, and make sure they're alright. I'll send Selena and Jasmin out." Then she turned, and walked up the stairs to the house.

  I paused for a moment as she walked away, before turning to Tersa, and saying, "Everyone loves your new home. I wanted to say thank you for letting us stay here."

  "It's my pleasure!" Tersa responded. "Without people living in it, this place would just be a cluster of buildings. It's the people that bring it to life."

  The front door to my house sprang open. Jasmin and Selena practically ran across the porch, and down the front steps to the porch. It was easy to see they were ready to go to the celebration. Selena looked at Tersa, and said, "You're going with us, right?" Tersa hesitated, and I could see her debating.

  "You should go," I coaxed her. "This party is to celebrate your new home. Everyone loves the place."

  "I'll walk these two over," she finally agreed. I heard the exhaustion in her voice, so I didn't encourage her to do more than that. The three women all turned, and started back down the road. They were all talking and laughing as they disappeared out of sight around the corner.

  I went up the front steps, across the porch, and into the house. I found April sitting in the front room, nursing Dot. Carl was lying in a bassinet next to her, waiting his turn to be fed.

  "That was fun!" April observed as she bounced Dot up and down slightly, encouraging her to stay awake and feed. I stepped over to Carl, and in a joking way, started to tickle one of his feet.

  Instead of laughing, he immediately pulled his foot away, and loudly said, "Stop that!" I stood there with a shocked look on my face, and must have appeared pretty startled.

  "Wow!" April blurted out. "I didn't know they could do that."

  I decided to not react for now, till after I talked to Jasmin. The temptation to start asking questions was overwhelming. I'm sure the twins could see my thoughts in the link, but they remained silent. Twenty minutes later, they were fed, and April had laid them down for the night.

  I had carried Dot up to the bedroom, and stood in the doorway as April tucked them both in. As we walked downstairs, I asked, "Have the twins been exhibiting any other characteristics I should know about?"

  "I haven't seen them fly or anything." April noted, smiling. "I knew they could talk in the link, but that was the first time I ever heard Carl's voice."

  We sat down in the front room, and passed the time talking quietly for a while. It was almost an hour later when we heard voices in the street. The party was breaking up, and people were walking by, on the way to wherever they were staying.

  "Tersa said over a thousand people were here tonight," April informed me. "A lot of them asked to stay for a few days. She'll be busy entertaining."

  "I like seeing her with others," I responded. "She spends too much time alone." Several seconds passed, before I asked, "What's going on with Vandahar, and Cindy?"

  "What do you think, silly?" April chided me. "You scanned them. You can see what's happening."

  "You could have warned me," I scolded her playfully. "I about fell over when I saw Vandahar with his arm around her."

  "She's probably the richest woman on Earth," April observed. "He could do worse."

  I burst out laughing, and said, "You know money and possessions mean nothing to a Magi."

  "I'm just joking!" she noted with a large smile on her face. "Jasmin pointed it out to me yesterday. She said Vandahar was showing a lot of interest in Cindy, and once she pointed it out, I started watching them."

  "I'm surprised I hadn't noticed it in the link," I wondered aloud, deep in thought.

  "I don't think they're really aware of it themselves." April confided to me. "I would love to see Cindy happy. She's had a rough life"

  "The same goes for Vandahar," I commented. "He's been alone for too long. He deserves to be happy after all he's been through."

  "I lucked out, finding you," April told me.

  There was a tap at the front door. I opened it to find Jasmin and Selena watching a large crowd walk by. There was a staggered series of people yelling, "Goodnight!" and everyone was waving at each other. It was the perfect ending to the night.

  The four of us all sat talking for about an hour. Then Selena excused herself, and staggered off to one of the spare bedrooms to sleep. A few minutes later, April announced she was going to bed, and went upstairs for the night.

  I sat talking to Jasmin for a few minutes, and then said, "Carl and I had a talk tonight."

  "Oh really!" Jasmin exclaimed. "I hadn't expected that."

  "That makes two of us," I noted. "I didn't think babies talked at all."

  "That's normally true," Jasmin agreed. She sat for a moment thinking, and then said, "Of course, I started talking a little early myself."

  "How old were you?" I asked.

  She glanced up at me, and quietly said, "I started talking from day one, and haven't shut up yet." She almost laughed at the startled look on my face. "My siblings and I are anything but normal. You can't judge anything by looking at us."

  "I suspect you have a lot better understanding of the twins than I do," I told her truthfully. "Is there anything you can tell me that might help?"

  "They're a lot more aware than you think," she informed me. "Twins tend to share a special connection. They can communicate in the link, and other people around them can't tell it."

  "Is there anything else?" I asked.

  "I've noticed they sing to each other late at night," Jasmin told me. She smiled broadly, and then added, "I know it's a silly thing, but I can hear them in the link. I take it for granted it's happening while April's asleep." I apparently looked as confused as I felt.

  "You haven't heard them I take it?" she asked. I shook my head no, and she went on, saying, "It's as if they hum a little two part harmony together. I've heard them at least a dozen times. I think they do it to comfort each other. It's entirely possible they communicate better in the link, than they do verbally, as we normally would."

  "Do you see a problem with that?" I asked.

  "No, not really" she replied. "I can see in my scans they're really sweet kids. I wouldn't worry if I were you."

  "I get the feeling you're kind of watching out for them," I ventured. "Am I out of line in thinking that?"

  "You’re right on the mark," she replied. "I wanted to be here for them, and my Father approved whole heartedly. I'm supposed to watch out for them, and keep them from making some of the same mistakes we did."

  "I'm afraid to ask what you did," I half questioned. "Is it anything I should know about?"

  "We almost died because of what we did," Jasmin replied in a whisper. "Madias saved us at the last minute. We got lucky."

  "What triggered it?" I asked. I regretted it at once, but the question was there.

  "I guess you could say we wanted to be normal," she replied softly, almost to herself. She seemed deep in thought for a moment. Then she looked right at me, and said, "I want to make sure your children don't make those kinds of mistakes."

  "I must leave in a few weeks," I told her. "I don't know when I'll be back. I'll take great comfort, knowing you're watching over them."

  "I'll be here, along with an army of dragons, and fifty of your best friends," she reminded me. "Add a core of Guardians to that, and your children will be as safe as any two children can be." I simply nodded to acknowledge the comment. After a few seconds, she stood up, saying, "I will be gone for a few hours. I'm going to go see my Father, and talk to him. He likes to be appraised of changes that affect your children."

  Standing up, I walked her to the door. As she left, I must admit that I felt better about leaving. I would still worry about April and the twins, it just wouldn't be as bad.

  I went upstairs, and soon was spooned up behind April, going to sleep. My beloved snuggled into my arms, and I felt wonderful as I started to doze off. Seconds later
, we were both sound asleep.

  Chapter 14

  Saving Children

  I awoke to the sound of my son, Carl, crying. He sounded really close, and I could feel April just starting to stir in my arms. "Carl?" she half mumbled. "Was that you?"

  Just as I started to roll over, I realized he was in bed right behind me, all wrapped up in his blanket. Even half asleep, I knew right away, this was a problem.

  "What are you doing here?" I asked, not really expecting an answer.

  "I'm really hungry!" Carl pinged back in response.

  "What is going on here?" April asked as she sat up in bed.

  "It's Carl," I replied. "He's hungry." At that point, Dot materialized on the bed next to Carl. April and I were both wide awake now. There was no doubt what we were seeing. Our two children could already fold space.

  "I didn't think they were supposed to be able to do that yet," April observed.

  "No more folding space!" I pinged in the link to the children. Carl openly giggled, and I suspected we were in a lot of trouble.

  "Tell them they can get hurt!" April instructed me. Her limited ability to reach out to the twins in the link was quickly frustrating her. "I wish I was better at this!" she snapped, angry at herself.

  "You'll get better at it with time," I reminded her. "For now, they can follow your emotions in the link. Don't scare them!"

  "Me scare them?" April questioned loudly. "I'm scared to death they may get hurt, and you’re worried about me scaring them?" Her voice was getting louder as she spoke, and I could see she was losing her patience.

  There was a tap at the bedroom door. I called out, "Come in!" and Jasmin stepped into the room.

  "Are the twins with you?" she quickly asked. She saw them on the bed before she finished the question, and frowning slightly, went on, saying. "I was really hoping they hadn't learned to fold space."

  "Too late!" I confirmed. "April and I both saw Dorothie materialize here on the bed. There is no doubt they can teleport at will."

  "Is there any way we can suppress their abilities?" April asked.

  "We could drug them." Jasmin told us. "But I advise against it. They’ll grow resistant to the drugs, and resentful over what you're doing to them."

  "I won't drug my children under any circumstances!" April stated bluntly. "I thought the Magi might have some other way to deal with this kind of problem."

  "The Rock taught me to fold space after I was sent to him for schooling," I noted. "I wasn't born with the ability. I had to acquire it through training."

  "The twins have been pulling knowledge from your minds for months now," Jasmin reminded us. "You've got to remember, that whatever you know, they probably know as well."

  "I think I'm going to get sick!" April announced. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, as she prepared to stand up.

  "I'm sorry!" Carl noted in his tiny little voice. "I won't do it again." We all froze where we were. After a few seconds, Jasmin just nodded her head yes, in obvious approval.

  A few more seconds passed, before April said, "He even sounds like Kaltar!" Then she seemed to catch herself, and she finished getting out of bed, As soon as she was up, she said, "I'm going to feed the children, and then we can talk about this."

  "That should be fine," Jasmin agreed. "I think they're beginning to understand the dangers, by looking into your thoughts. They'll be more cautious in the future."

  Jasmin and I went downstairs to eat breakfast, and I decided to fix pancakes for us. They are one of my favorite foods, but I seldom have time to fix them. By the time I sat down to eat, I was starving.

  As soon as I started eating, April called out to me in the link. "Please come see me!" she pinged loudly at me. I excused myself from the table, and went up to see her.

  When I arrived, I could easily see April was losing her patience. She glanced up at me as I walked in, and loudly asked, "Are you fixing pancakes?" I simply nodded my head yes.

  "Pancakes!" The babies cried out in unison.

  "You can't have pancakes!" April insisted loudly. "You're too young for them!"

  "Pancakes!" the twins called out again. April gave me a frustrated look.

  "I don't know what to do!" I blurted out.

  "From now on, you eat on a different schedule than the twins," April informed me. "I don't want these two thinking they can eat what they please."

  "Would it be that bad?" I asked.

  "It would be very bad!" she told me pointedly. "They need the antibodies and hormones that come from a mother's milk. Not pancakes in heavy syrup."

  "I've never been around a baby before," I reminded her, feeling a little foolish. "I wasn't aware I was triggering a problem."

  "It's not a problem, unless your children are telepaths," April explained, sounding exhausted. She was silent for a few seconds, and then said, "Go on and eat breakfast. I'll deal with the great pancake rebellion."

  I went back downstairs feeling just a little confused. As I stepped in the door to the kitchen, I could tell Jasmin was finding the situation more than a little amusing. She had been scanning us, and was aware of our conversation.

  "Telepathic twins can be a little headstrong," Jasmin noted. "Every tiny baby has to learn its way in the world. For everything, there is a first time. Your children are no different."

  Her comment made me realize how many of the children’s first time events I was going to miss out on when I left. I had been aware of this of course, but for the first time, I began to realize just how much I would be missing.

  "Don't dwell on it Kaltar!" Jasmin quietly advised me. "Your children will be fine, I swear! April and the twins will be safe, and happy. You will return, and they’ll still be young children. There will be plenty of time to make it up to them."

  She was right I suppose, but it still bothered me. As I look back now at these pages, I realize how little time I've spent with the twins. Perhaps twenty hours or a little more in the last few weeks. They would be a month old when I left, and they would be at least several years old when I returned.

  If I returned!

  I felt the doubts wash across me in a wave. People who read the timelines would tell you, no future is guaranteed. One unseen event, and everything could change instantly. One small mistake, and I might never return.

  Growing angry at myself, I forced the thoughts from my mind. Jasmin was following my thoughts, and after a few seconds, she said, "The children are scanning you almost constantly. You can't forget to remain focused, or they'll start to become frightened."

  We grew silent as we sat eating breakfast. I was deep in thought, and when Jasmin got up to leave, she quietly said, "Don't get rattled Kaltar. It's all going to work out just fine." Then she folded space, and was gone.

  I stood, and cleaned up the mess from breakfast. My mind was racing as I started to think of everything that needed to be done before I left. There was so little time, and I wanted to try and spend more time with the children. As I stood there debating, I heard an odd scratching noise.

  Following the sounds, I ended up at the front door to the house. I opened it to find a small dragon on my doorstep. Its tail was wagging so furiously, I had to wonder why it was so excited. "See Bitsy!" it pinged at me in the link. The small animal turned, and ran back and forth on the front porch. It seemed obvious I was supposed to follow the small creature. After hesitating for a moment, I decided to go see where Bitsy was.

  We started down the road to the main gate, and as we walked I realized this was the small dragon I had met a few days before. It was already the size of a large dog on Earth, and seemed very pleased to have found me. After several minutes, we rounded a corner, and Bitsy came into sight.

  We stepped up to the gigantic white dragon, and she smiled at me. I could tell at once that she was a pretty happy creature at that moment.

  "Did you enjoy the celebration?" she asked. I nodded yes, and she went on, saying, "I had hoped a few humans might visit, and thousands showed up. I wanted to say
thank you for all you've done."

  "I didn't do anything," I corrected her. "All this was from Tersa and you working together."

  "When Tersa and I first met, she offered to destroy me!" Bitsy reminded me. "She has changed much since then."

  "I suppose she has," I agreed.

  "Because of you," Bitsy noted. "I am alive, because of you. We have a home world of our own because of you. Everything, including Tersa, has changed, because of you. I wanted to say thank you for all you've done."

  "You're welcome," I responded. "You're a wondrous life form, and I'm pleased to call you my friend."

  "Friend," Bitsy repeated. "I have many names, but I like that one more than any other. I am Kaltar's friend! Yes! I like that name best."

  "Is that all you wanted?" I asked. "Or was there some other reason you sent for me?"

  "Our time together will be short," she stated cryptically. "This may be the last time you see me, and we can talk. I wanted you to know that I’m grateful for all you've done for us."

  "It was my pleasure," I said truthfully. "You deserve a long and happy life."

  She gave me a long look. Then quietly said, "We will be there for you Kaltar! You will know the time. Call upon us, and we will be there for you." I felt totally confused by the comment, but before I could ask, Bitsy looked down at the smaller dragon, and said, "We must go. We have much to do."

  The two of them turned without saying anything else, and started out the gate. I turned back toward the house feeling just a little baffled. I walked home slowly, deep in thought, and stepped into the house not really paying attention to what was happening around me. When I came through the door, I looked up at the top of the stairs, and saw April talking to Selena. Selena stepped back to where the children were, while April walked down the stairs to where I waited.

  "I'm sorry I was so gruff earlier," she told me bluntly. "You didn't do anything wrong. I was just being a grouch."