LILLI & IRIS

  With a look at his daughter, the smith stops sharpening the blade he is working on and says. “Girls? Not even the first day of school and you already have boys following you home?” Jackson looks at the muscular elf wide eyed, stunned into immobility.

  Tanner smiles at the man and says, “Can you blame us they are rather pretty.”

  The smith, recognizing a fellow wise guy, laughs and holds out his hand. “Ehlarkan Jhaeros, master smith, and proud father of these two pretty girls.”

  Tanner also holds out his hand and shakes the offered hand with a firm grip. “Tanner Wilson-Alexander, This is Jackson Utian. The rest of us will be along in a few minutes.”

  “Utian? The Grand Duke’s son?”

  Jackson, overcoming the fright the smith gave him, also reaches out his hand to shake, “Yes sir, I am his second son.”

  “And you would be the Orphaned Prince?”

  “Uh maybe?” Tanner replies.

  “That’s what they’re calling you.”

  “Oh I didn’t know that, I guess it fits.”

  The smith gestures to the door. “Let’s get out of this sweat box.” As he leads the boys and his daughters to a side yard, he says, “Call me Lark, somehow I get the feeling you are not here to court my daughters.”

  Tanner smiles and says, “We sorta are, we want to form a party with them like I said earlier we have seven more people coming. We all have Epic ranked Affinities, Prime or higher, and all ten of us have Rare ranked Gates open.”

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  “Ten person parties are not formed by humans much any more, if at all.”

  “That is true sir, I have been doing some research, and I feel that trend is a huge mistake. I know the party will be slower to advance, but this gives us an opportunity to learn the basics well, before advancing. I have a Martial arts background and I have a firm belief that a person should have the basics down before advancing.”

  “That is part of the reasoning elves have ten person parties, it is also safer.”

  “Yes sir I have come to see that also.”

  A loud knock on the gates sound and Lilli runs to open it. Iris jumps up and bows to Penny and the others as they look around, “Welcome to our home.” She introduces her father to the others and them to her father.

  Lilli and Iris’s father, after asking all the same questions Karnna and Dylan’s mother did. Sits in thoughtful silence for a few moments. The group waits for him to digest all the information. Lark stirs and asks, “So how did this come about? It seems almost too fortuitous to believe.”

  Tanner looks to Jackson, “Your turn to talk.” Jackson explains about his Talent and the way it works. Next, he explains to Lark that he had originally planned to partner with Claire, but upon looking at Tanner, Claire, and Connie with his sight, he asked all three. After Tanner and Claire told him they wanted a ten person party, he looked for others and found the Rasumun twins, then his twin daughters, then Karnna and Dylan.

  “Tanner said you all have Epic ranked Affinities Prime or greater? What does that mean?”

  Tanner explains about the rediscovered Origin Aspects. “And three of you have these?”

  “Yes sir, two of us for sure. We believe Connie also has an Origin Affinity.”

  “Call me Lark please. I agree to this party.”

  Penny stands and extends her hand to Lark. “I will have a messenger come by and schedule a meeting with all the available parents. Hey slugger it is still early you need to go to the Combat Center right?”

  “Yes,”

  “Mind if I tag along?”

  “No it’s okay.”

  “Wow that was such a ringing enthusiastic remark I may need to change my plans.”

  “Sorry Penny I need to center myself.”

  Penny nods her head like she understands and falls back to Claire and Connie. “What did he mean center himself?”

  Lilli responds in a low voice, “He’s concentrating, the way he talked, I think he may be tested today.”

  “Tested for what?”

  “Not sure we have to wait and see.”