Harmonizer's Evolution (Balancer's Soul cycle)

by Lee Morgan

  She pulled the neck of her night shirt out to look at her newfound breasts with admiration and satisfaction. So that’s why he could see them as a child’s favorite place to play during parties, but I’ll let him try and see if it will remain good name. Sarah’s and Jenny told her she’d start lactating just after her children come into the world and leak on occasion, but that hadn’t happened yet. She hoped they’d remain this engorged, after the babies eventually weaned and become dependent on soft foods.

  A few minutes later Connor stirred. He rolled to his left and his dark tattoo completely filled her entire field of vision. The brand was nothing compared to his godly muscles, but it did make him look like a daunting opponent. To Sarah he is like an almighty Greek god who she will always and forever be devoted to. His strength and power were unequaled except by his compassion and tenderness. She looked into his serene expression as he looked down at her. His square jaw was manly and strong and his lips were a perfect fit with hers. Even his unwavering and piercing hazel eyes were calm. They let her know that he was paying his undivided attention to her. Then his brow drew together. “Sarah, you aren’t looking to well.”

  “It’s alright. I’m just feeling a little nauseous again. I’m fine, so don’t worry all the time.” The look in his eyes said that that wouldn’t ever happen. She freed her right arm and rubbed his scruffy chin that felt like sandpaper. “Can you tell me what you’re going to do with Sorono today?”

  He smiled her private smile and her body reacted positively. “We are going to talk about some of the different things I’ve thought up and haven’t found a definite answer to. He even wants to pass private teachings down, since I’m the younger brother. Plus I have found things that I’ve figured out and was going to inform him about them. And he wants to see the extent of my abilities now that my powers have stabilized. I suspect he might be able to teach me something interesting.”

  Then he got a look in his eyes again and it meant his instinct has been triggered. “Well speaking of them. They are on their way here now.” Then he smiled and leaned in closer, until their lips met.

  Electricity shot through her as the simple kiss became something much more passionate. Every thought she once had became nonexistent and it was all about this moment in time. His lips moved perfectly with hers and this tenderness is more than she could describe in mere words. It’s a primal need and one they both felt. But they had to cut it short.

  Soon they both exited the bed, showered and ate.

  During the morning meal she felt a familiar mind reaching. It was Veronica once again. “Sarah, are you up and awake yet?”

  She sat the spoonful of cereal down. “Yes, I’m decent. How long until you arrive?”

  “Right about…now.” It was then that Sarah felt two sources of energy being used. They were moving slowly and then the power ended. She could hear the soft and heavy sounds of steps coming in their direction.

  Connor had finished his meal and he stood up from the table. “I’ll see to them. Go ahead and finish up, Princess.”

  Sarah quickly consumed the remaining portions of the meal while listening to Connor speaking with Veronica outside. “So what do you have planned for your day with Sarah?”

  “Actually I’m planning on having no plan at all. We are here to enjoy ourselves and spend time with those I’ve somehow befriended. It is always so interesting to be around your family and the dynamic of it all is rare amongst our kinds. It is also a good thing for Shannon to experience many different events and circumstances. It will allow her to grow a more well rounded personality and be sociable. And you do not need to worry, Connor, I’ll keep your mate safe.”

  Sarah heard Connor chuckling. “That will be alright.” Then he spoke evenly to a different person. “Sorono, when do you wish to head out?”

  “As soon as possible.”

  By the time he said that Sarah’s meal became deceased and she headed outside. It was chilly, but there wasn’t any cutting wind so it was bearable. She looked straight ahead and saw that her mate’s dark form stood with his back to her. Sorono and Veronica stood side by side while making Sarah’s tank of a husband look like a mere child’s toy.

  “Go on ahead!” She shouted over to everyone. Sarah then saw Shannon stick her small and round head out from behind her mother’s robe. “It will be girl time from here on out.” She then looked over to Veronica. “I have already informed everyone that it will be our time today so it will only be the female species coming over here. No men allowed.”

  Veronica grinned and looked to Sorono playfully. “That means you had better leave as soon as possible. Kara informed me about this kind of gathering. Apparently if a male shows up during the female gathering time, we bind them and put vibrant and colorful paints all over their bodies to feminize them.”

  Sorono wasn’t sure if she was playing, but he didn’t dare take the chance. His expression turned downward and his scaly brow came together into worry. “Connor, can we leave now. I don’t want to chance it.”

  Sarah’s mate laughed silently, but he turned around and walked passed her, but he did wink in passing. Connor entered the house while they waited together outside. Shannon began attempting to climb down and Veronica helped her daughter to the ground. Then Shannon walked up to Sarah again and asked “May I feel your tummy again?”

  It was a simple request and easily granted.

  A minute later Connor came out of their home wearing Tool hung off his right hip and the polished steel shone in the morning light. Then in his left hand was a cube of steel that he was barely able to hold in the palm of his left hand. He walked right up to her and Shannon. He lifted up the reflective cube and asked “Sorono, is this large enough for whatever purpose you need.”

  The Head Elder of the Keepers dropped down on one knee and looked closely at the metal. “Yes, it shall do nicely.” He then stood back up and looked at his mate. “We shall return later this afternoon. Paint isn’t my idea of masculinity.”

  “Be safe, Princess.”

  Sarah could feel energy being gathered within the two powerful Harmonizers and soon they used Pressure to fly into the air. They flew side by side while heading westward. She guessed they were going to the field for privacy.

  “Sarah,” her attention turned down towards Shannon. “do you have any food. I’m a little hungry. Father found a deer last night, but it wasn’t enough for all three of us.”

  A look of shocked humiliation flared in Veronica’s features. Before any chastising could occur, Sarah patted the smooth and scaly head of Shannon. “A single deer? It isn’t your father’s fault.” Her small brow came together. “During the winters, many hunters come up around here to get deer. In many places there is very little game to begin with, but in a few more months there will most likely be more game available. Usually in spring many babies are born to repopulate those that were hunted or died during these long wintery months.” She then looked up to Veronica casually. “From now on, don’t hesitate to ask for our help. If you need more food than you find out here, we can go to a butcher’s and purchase anything you might require.”

  “We couldn’t impose on you any more than we already have.”

  “Nonsense!” Veronica looked abashed. “We owe you and Sorono more than just a simple meal or two. Don’t forget how indebted we are. Sorono afforded to feed us during last year’s party for all those months while asking for nothing in return, and that’s not to mention how much I owe you.” Now Veronica’s scaly features were overly confused. “When Connor brought a halt to the meeting and fought those guards…you saved my mate from killing those Immortal Guard Keepers and your actions brought the danger he faced down to zero. Like I said, just ask. It’s that simple. A good host takes care of their guests.”

  She looked away and showed her shy side. Connor won’t allow her to show such weakness. She learned her lesson and had waited for him to leave. “If you really feel that way, I’ll take you up on your offer.”

  Sarah smi
led and then peered at Shannon. “Come inside and help me make you and your mom something special to eat. Take my hand.” She let out her left hand and Shannon didn’t understand because she sniffed the back of the hand. “Hold my hand with yours.”

  “Oh,” Shannon finally figured how to wrap her warm hand with Sarah’s. They then walked together into the cottage and Veronica followed as best she could. Shannon turned out to be a great helper as she held all the meat they had stored in the refrigerator while Sarah grabbed all the loaves of bread. Veronica then began watching them through the open door as Sarah showed Shannon how to cook on a stove.

  Soon after Shannon was full and Veronica ate what her daughter couldn’t.

  Around ten in the morning Veronica and Sarah were sitting around the fire, outside again. Shannon ate a little too much and was curled into a ball and sleeping soundly on her mother’s lap.

  All the other girls arrived together. Everyone was silent and looked reasonably the same except for Kara. She was wearing normal clothes. She wore a tight pink top and jeans. Sarah guessed she wasn’t as susceptible to the cold like the rest of them were. Kara was the first to notice Shannon’s sleeping form. She then actually spoke in a whisper. “Shh, the little one is asleep.”

  Then all who arrived went inside and grabbed their chairs.

  Shannon finally awoke an hour later and soon realized that she had been transferred and slept on Kara’s lap. And soon they went back to a subject that couldn’t be avoided, Sarah’s pregnancy. This time it was Veronica’s inquisitive nature. “Sarah, I’ve never had the opportunity to ask this question before, but what is it like to have a child growing inside you. I’ve only known how it felt to take care of my children. Shannon was inside me for about three weeks until I had her egg.”

  Sarah’s hands went down to her covered belly and began rubbing tenderly. Then she felt one of them kick and a smile spread across her face. “It is an experience that is hard to put into just simple words. There are so many emotions and feelings it gives me. Your honest feelings don’t become too real until you feel the first kick. It is scary in a way because your life isn’t just yours anymore, it belongs to the life that is struggling for survival. And then there is the happiness as they are the proof and product of love. They were conceived when the love for my mate was absolute and they are the confirmation from the joining of our lives. Like I said it’s difficult.”

  Before Veronica could respond to such an answer, Shannon asked “If you carry your young, how much bigger will your tummy get?”

  Kara grinned and stated “If she gets any bigger she’ll pop like a zit.”

  Sarah eyes zeroed in on Kara. “Thanks for that vivid mental image you gave us!” she chastised annoyingly.

  “How do they come out?” Shannon asked innocently while sitting comfortably on Kara’s lap because she didn’t understand the terminology of what Sarah’s sister-in-law said.

  With Veronica’s permission, Jenny explained just how a baby is born. Sarah would bet if a Keeper could blush, Shannon would be fire-engine red about now.

  During the explanation Sarah sensed Connor’s energy, but the amount he used went beyond anything she ever sensed before for the distance that separated them was several miles. Veronica sensed it too, but her knowing smile eased Sarah’s worry that something had happened.

  About an hour later Sarah felt that her bladder was full. She stood up and tried waddling her way to the cottage, but something suddenly felt strange. She wondered what it was that was off, and then there was a lot of wetness trailing down her leg. Then a sharp pain rushed through her.

  “UM, JENNY! MOTHER!” Sarah’s eyes widened as she looked to them sitting to her left. Their conversation cut short.

  Jillian looked at her and spoke in a confused tone. “What’s wrong, Sarah?”

  Sarah’s eyes widened as she finally choked out. “The…twins won’t arrive in a few weeks.” Everyone grew silent and looking at her strangely. “They are coming right now!”

  Jenny was the first to react. She looked down between her daughter-in-law’s legs and the nursing side of her kicked in. “Jillian, Sarah’s water has just broken. We need to get her in the house right now!”

  After all the preparation, it was time.

  After leaving Sarah in the care of Veronica and the innocently inquisitive Shannon, it felt good to fly once again. Sorono and Connor flew just above the treetops so as not to be easily seen. While flying he didn’t put up a pressure shield and that allowed the wind to kiss and caress his face. It was cool out, but the early spring didn’t phase the flight. The wind mussed his hair, but it was worth it. The air remained crisp but hinted that the very first signs of winter was slowly coming to an end. They had gotten lucky this year and the thaw had finally arrived. Connor had gotten worried because Sarah hasn’t liked the cold very much, even if she has seen over three hundred winters and he’s only seen twenty one. It didn’t matter because the slow flight was perfect.

  He glanced at Sorono and he too was enjoying the cool flight.

  A few minutes later they saw the old rocky clearing. There were still patches of melting snow scattered along the ground, but it was familiar. His family had become lax in their trainings due to his mate’s pregnancy. Even if he hadn’t seen it in a year it still looked the same; except for Sorono’s makeshift cabin. It was situated on the north side of the clearing. Only it appeared subtly different since he and Sorono worked together on constructing it.

  They flew in close and landed together in perfect synchronicity. Two nights ago they did all they could, but Sorono has been working on it since the last time. He’s trimmed the corners of the fifteen foot cabin and even added a thatched roof made from dead bamboo, but Connor hasn’t seen any sections around here with enough to make the roof that is now finished. It was still squared off and made with just enough room for his family to be sheltered for the night. He could see that Sorono has resealed the horizontal trunks that made up the walls. He did enough work to make this cabin habitual for months if not years to come.

  Sorono noticed Connor’s critiquing, but said nothing.

  Finally he spoke. “If there is much to discuss, should we stay out here or go inside?” He already knew the answer. Connor followed him to the only door that pointed into the northern trees.

  He opened the large vertical door that had been latched together with the rope Connor had to get from the truck before they even flew out here. Then he allowed Connor to go inside. Once inside he smelled the heady scent of pine and smoke. Sorono had littered pine needles over the hard ground and a small fire hearth sat in the center of the room. The smoke from the fire rose straight up and exited from the central point in the roof. Connor looked around the inside and didn’t find a single open spot that leaked in the outside sunlight.

  Connor walked around the fire, sat down cross-legged and sat the steel cube off to his side, just as Sorono entered the room by ducking down and shutting the door. He then turned around and the flame seemed to make all his visible scales shimmer eccentrically. The next thing he did was match his brother’s seating posture. Sorono sat across from him with crossed legs, a straight back and had his hands resting on his thighs. His head tilted down so he could look at Connor and his hazel eyes would be intimidating if he wanted. Luckily they both were on the best of terms and had compatible personalities.

  “How should we start?”

  Sorono smiled graciously because he is much older than Connor and he deserved the upmost respect as an elder. Try sixty millions years older. They both naturally walled certain parts of their minds by habit, but they allowed each other to ask whatever they wanted.

  “First off, I would like to see your weapon that you discarded last year when you fought a Changer Guard during the meeting.”

  “I call it Tool.” Connor pulled his closest physical protection from his hip and held it out. Sorono reached out his left hand, palm up. He knew this would be the only way for Sorono to hold it because his hands w
ere too large.

  Connor placed Tool in the center of his palm and he drew his hand back. He then brought it up close to his left eye. As he studied my weapon, Connor studied him. Sorono began critiquing the weapon just like Connor did with the cabin. He then raised himself again and returned the multipurpose weapon to its rightful owner. Connor then laid it right by the large cube.

  “This Tool of yours, when was it made?”

  “My grandfather made it for me when I was eleven years old.”

  “Indeed. That explains much. It isn’t suited for you as you are now. When you were younger it was a perfect fit, but now you are older and you need something more suited to your new strengths. Right now your weapon is useless in a battle where your life is in danger. The crescent blade is much too small to do any real major damage, as is the hammer’s sides mediocre diameter. Yet you’ve done nothing to it. That leads me to believe it has a deep sentimental value.”

  He wasn’t trying to goad Connor into anger, simply stating facts. “You’re right. It is a treasure that my grandfather made with his own bare hands. What is it that you would like to ask me?”

  “We can both sense that you need a new weapon because it must be of some use. We need things that cannot hold us back if our energy’s are ever depleted. What I would like to ask is if you would like to give Tool an… what is that word… ah yes, would you like to give it an upgrade?” Connor picked up his companion for over a decade and went through all the decisions. Then Sorono brought him out of his thoughts by asking “Did you give your weapon a name because it in some way has its own unique personality?” Connor nodded. “Well think of how it feels. Imagine if you were Tool and you were a hindrance to your master. Wouldn’t you do everything in your power to try and be useful?” Connor’s eyes reconnected with Sorono’s compassionate ones. “That is why I asked for you to bring more steel with you. What I would like to ask is if you would combine Tool’s essence with the cube and make it a larger version of itself?”