Father looked away with glistening eyes. I could see his thoughts, feel his pain. Our mana responded to father’s need. Instinctively, I released my mana to shield him from the pain. My mana touched Sage’s mana. He had started doing the same thing. In that touch we felt each other’s will. Our core thoughts. He wanted to shield father, our Truechild family, and our empire from dangers like the damned. I wanted to hunt down those same dangers and cut them apart.

  We both looked at each other. With that understanding of each other, more layers of his personality opened up to me. His love for our budding family. His acceptance that he would never be the strongest among us. His need to kill that which had harmed our brothers. And the fact he liked… I was his second favorite sibling. And the mental image he had of me was of a silent mountain in a storm. I gave him a sense of safety.

  I do not know what Sage saw in me. I know he did, because he gave me a toothy smile. But neither of us had the time to consider what we had seen in the other, because our mana touched father’s.

  Father was immense. He was the land, the sea, the air, and more. He was the fires below. The lava that veined the ground. He was the void above. And all of it seethed in anger. An anger that pulsed inside him and told him that he could be the fire of the star burning in the sky. He could wipe out those who had taken one of his sons away. He could be the cold of the void and rip out the air from everything that had harmed his family.

  We saw father reel himself in. Still a part of him screamed for him to let go and be the bloodthirsty warlord who would ride out for vengeance. Be the sorcerer that would smite the lands that had risen up against him. Be the ruthless emperor who took heads as trophy and displayed them. He could be so many things. But right now, when he felt our touch, we called for him to come back. He was our father. And we loved him.

  Father took in a shuddering breath and wiped the tears on his cheeks. He looked at us and smiled. “Thank you, my sons.”

  For minutes he stood there looking at us with a smile on his face. Long enough to make Sage shift uncomfortably.

  Father chuckled and in a gruff, gravelly voice said, “Remember this moment, my sons. Even in tragedy we can find the brightest shining light. But only if we reach out and touch each other’s hearts.”

  “Are you well, father?” Sage’s concerned voice and the look in my eyes made father smile once more.

  Father waved dismissively. “Enough of these dark thoughts.”

  He smiled and put a hand on each of our shoulders and squeezed them. Suddenly all was well in the world once again. In a jovial tone he announced, “My sons have come to see me, and we have a feast waiting for us.”

  “Technically, father, you opened up a portal on my bed,” Sage complained.

  Father snorted. “Oh, that was funny. Wasn’t that funny, Voss?”

  I nodded.

  Sage looked at me. “Do you ever smile, brother?”

  I glanced at him and replied, “I just did.”

  Father laughed, and joy radiated out of him as we walked back to the table.

  “No, father, seriously. Please do not do that,” Sage followed father.

  “Fine, child. Your brother started to speak, and I got excited.”

  My eyes caught Saha sitting with other ladies. Someone had spread a meal large enough to feed an army. She was laughing at something someone had said. The way the light bounced off her midnight black hair, the tilt of her head, the slight rosiness of the wine on her lips… She was so beautiful.

  Father looked at me with a coy smile and looked around. After noting everyone who was looking at the emperor and his two larger than life sons, father raised his voice to encompass all as he showed off his new son.

  His voice boomed with mana as he said, “You know, Voss, I created my True Children to be ten times of those around them. Ten times as strong, ten times as magical, and ten times as smart. You are truly a wonder of wonders.”

  I nodded awkwardly and turned away from the gazes of humans all around us to face back to the table. Father chuckled as he looked in between me and Saha. His voice did not boom this time, but it still carried across the table. “That also means they need to eat ten times as much, get in trouble ten times as much, and need ten times as much love and affection.”

  Saha choked on the drink she had taken a sip of. She mouthed, “Ten times?”

  I grimaced. “That was my other question. Why am I feeling things for Saha Voss?”

  “Feeling things?” Father laughed. “Let’s put it in words, son.”

  I looked at father blankly.

  Father sighed. “Let’s say someone attacks me or Sage, what will you do?”

  “Kill them. And kill them quickly. Following that, I will assist you, find other assassins, and eliminate them,” I replied in a flat tone.

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  “And what will you do if someone attacks Saha?”

  I paused and thought about it. My fists clenched, ice formed on my knuckles, and the sound of ice cracking cut through others. Even so, my voice remained steady, but the hint of coldness in it shocked me. “I will flash freeze their skin and rip it off. I will then freeze each of their limbs one by one and shatter them. After that, I will start with their testicles and move onto… Finally, the teeth. Those I will…”

  “We get the picture, brother,” Sage stopped me and looked at the women who were looking at me with shocked wide eyes. He smiled at them apologetically. “Some of us are territorial.”

  I looked around. Others had joined our table. That included the captain of this ship, some military general, others who looked like ministers of some kind, and they were all looking at me warily. That was except for the people closest to me. Like father. He looked amused. Sage looked tired. And Saha?

  The way Saha was looking at me made the breath catch in my chest. And that was the problem. How could I think rationally when I was around the most beautiful creature I had ever seen?

  My voice rumbled out, “Father, I should not feel things.”

  “No, you should, my son,” Father smiled at me. “You are not a silent hunter anymore. You are a Truechild.”

  “May I, father?” Sage raised his hands. “Forgive me, father, but your explanations into our nature can be overwhelming.”

  Father reduced his size, and we followed. Even though this was a casual setting, there was a sort of order. The emperor took the head of the table. Sage took the seat next to him. I followed after Sage. Followed by the Captain of the Midnight Hunt and then the General. On the other side, two timeless women had taken their spots next to father. My mothers.

  I knew of them but had not met them yet, except when I was brought to these lands.

  Yavana Sareen, the elf queen, and father’s first favorite. And Savera, the southern star. My eyes lingered on the Southern Star, and she grinned at me.

  “Hello, my silent son.” The Southern Star did not speak. She projected her words to me.

  I nodded a greeting back to her.

  “We will speak when you have come into your own. For now, relax and learn about this strange world you have been brought to,” Savera spoke in my head and turned her attention elsewhere.

  I did likewise. Looking past my mothers to Sage’s favorites, Lina Sage and Sherry Baker. And after that, my eyes stopped. Saha Voss was looking at me. There was clear interest in her eyes. There were questions too. They were bubbling to come out. Mother Savera said something in her ear, and she blushed. She looked cute when she blushed.

  Beyond them there was an armored lady knight whose name was introduced to me after Saha, but I could not recall her name. My eyes did not move off Saha. The way her hair flowed with the backdrop of sun and sea…

  Sage cleared his throat loudly. The noise was followed by chuckles and titters from around the table. My brother picked up a large meat pie of some sort and handed me the platter.

  “Here, brother, distract yourself.”

  I did as he asked. I began to cut a slice and return the dish when Sage picked up another pie from the table and started pouring melted cheese on the crust. I looked past him to father, who not only had pie in front of him, but two platters of meat too. He was pouring a spiced molasses on his meat. I shrugged and began to dig in.

  “Okay, so your question, brother. Why are you enamored with Lady Voss here?” Sage put a spoonful of pie and cheese in his mouth and chewed. He swallowed and explained, “It is a difficult subject for one of us to tackle, so let me give you a plain explanation. Lady Voss was imprinted on you when you were being created. Her mana signature was attuned to you, and certain biological markers were shifted so that you find her attractive. You will always find it comforting to be around her. You will feel protective around her. And you will forever be attracted to her. And similarly, your mana signature was imprinted on her, and her biological markers were shifted to make you viable partners.”

  Sage began to eat and gave me some time to think. After four or five large bites he started speaking again. “What you and Saha have is a partnership based in blood and mana, brother. It is a very special thing to us. You will have others, but she will remain your favorite. Also, she was allowed to give certain inputs to make you more attractive to her.”

  I saw Saha blush a deep red.

  I looked away and thought for a long moment. I finally asked, “Why?”

  Sage exhaled loudly. “Because we are mana born. Think of a normal human, brother. When a child is born, he has a family. Or the empire gives him to one. They make ties. They learn to love their siblings and cherish their parents. As they grow to adulthood, they create more ties. They find friends, mates, and others. They learn to love. We are mana born. We were created into adulthood. All we have is each other. Could father in good conscience release something into the empire with no ties to humans, elves, and others?”

  I ate and thought about Sage’s question. With what we were and what we could do, the answer to that question was no. But still… The fact that all my rationality went out of the window every time I looked at Saha was…

  “Does it feel odd to you that father was imprinted on you?” Sage asked.

  I considered Sage’s words and then shook my head. “No. That feels right. We are his flesh and blood.”

  “No, brother, we are so much more. We are his Truechilds,” Sage smiled and then asked, “So, do you feel stifled by the ties that can bind us to humans? Or do you disapprove of his choice of partner?”

  I looked up quickly at Saha and shook my head. “No. I… uh… like…”

  Saha’s worried eyes were beginning to relax. And I exhaled.

  “Blight and rot, brother. Then what is it? Do you not like having partners altogether?” Sage asked.

  “Partners? As in plural?” I asked in a deadpan voice.

  Sage gave his partners a loving smile, which was returned by the two women. “Yes, partners. You do not think you will just be attracted to Lady Voss? There will be others like her who will catch your eye.”

  Father nodded. “Presence of genetic traits and mana affinities are hard to predict at the best of times. Genealogy when not properly documented can sprout up candidates at the most unlikely places. I am sure that in your lands you will find more people that will match your preferences.”

  “See, this is what I mean, father,” Sage sighed.

  Sage looked back at me. “He means that there are plenty of bastards running around that will catch your eye.”

  I suddenly realized that we were having this conversation around a lot of new people. And all of them were giving me amused looks.

  Sage turned to Saha. “Do not worry, Lady Voss. Trust me. No matter who else he brings home, you will always be his first choice. Ask Lina. She will tell you.”

  Lina Sage looked at Saha and nodded with both affection and exasperation.

  Father smiled at Saha. “Yes. Your bond will always be special, child. But… if Voss will not answer, why do not you answer some questions for us, Saha? Are you happy with Voss? Are you both compatible?”

  Saha gulped. In a hoarse voice she asked, “Compatible, your imperial majesty?”

  Father nodded. “Yes, you know when you are alone. Do you find comfort in each other?”

  Saha’s face flushed. She cleared her throat. “Your imperial majesty, we have not spent much time together and…”

  Father gave Saha a baffled look.

  The elf queen, our mother, put a hand on father’s forearm and shook her head.