God's Gifts

"I know that I included the Gods in the Types of Families, making for eight. This was on purpose. While the Gods are still a magical set of Families, they are a separate category." Professor Madrigal starts the next class a couple days later. "In all of the magical creatures, you have the contribution of the Gods. These Gods are so very old, we have no idea where they came from. Neither are any of them forthcoming with their history beyond our records, no matter how extensive those records are.

"I've also told you that the Fae community has an extensive history with the Gods. It has been suggested that the Fae was the first of the magical creatures the Gods introduced to the Earth. The Fae themselves were able to manipulate plants and work with, communicate with and breed animals. The Fae were able to communicate with the early humans on a higher level than other animals. It is said that is when the Gods came to accept the potential in the human spirit.

"The Gods made Dragons based on bones of dinosaurs. They made Unicorns based on gazelles and deer and goats. They took the strongest of the wolf spirits for Lycans. Demons were based on the fears of humans. All of these were attached to humans.

"Vampires started as a hunger to devour the soul of another. It started with warriors conquering land when the enemy circled around the flank and killed the warriors' families. The warriors killed their enemies and ate the heart and liver of the enemies and their families to sate their bereavement. Upon seeing this, the Gods cursed the Seven Warriors and their mates to live with a hunger for human blood to the end of creation. The only way to create another vampire is for a vampire to kill a human by biting and draining the blood and then returning some of that blood from the vampire him/herself."

Professor Madrigal paused to drink some water. "Now, magical humans are self-explanatory. Many of the magical humans - witches, wizards, druids and shaman - worked closely with the Fae to learn the magic of working with plants and animals and the various energy fields of the planet and all of its life forms."

"Now to your papers," the class moans collectively. "Please leave them on the table and I will read them over the weekend. I will mark them according to your knowledge, but these papers will not be graded. We will find out who knows what about whom." With that, Professor Madrigal dismissed the class.

....

Seamus Gilhoughley goes back to the family home for the weekend. He is not looking forward to seeing all four of his older brothers. Hopefully, his sister Sarah will visit and update him on his plants. His other sister, Siobhan, has asked for more of his essential oil cold relief formula before the season hits too hard.

The Gilhoughley family are a family of druids. That means that they all work with natural magic. Each child has an ability. Each ability is stronger and more focused according to birth order. Meaning, the youngest is the strongest with a more focused power up to the seventh child (7 for the 7 families).

Seamus, is the seventh child, and youngest. His ability is plant growth. When he was younger he even tried to kill his mother's Christmas cactus so that he could buy her a new one. It wilted for a week and then came back and blossomed for a full two months. He could only make plants grow and do better. His parents applauded his power. His sisters encouraged him. His brothers, however, called him everything from a fairy to a spineless flake. They needled him about his manhood, his intelligence, his lack in defensive martial arts. This is the life of the youngest child.

Senan Earl Gilhoughley and his wife, Eileen did everything they could for their children without hovering. That often led to the children governing themselves, much to the horror of the target of the day - most often, the youngest, Seamus. Still, Seamus was surrounded by love, it just came with bruises from his brothers.

"How are you?" Thankfully, his sister, and twin, Sarah, was the first to greet him. "All settled in at school, are ya?"

"Yeah. Our brothers have helped with that," the grimace on Seamus's face shows how "helpful" their brothers were to settling into college life.

Doug already had a BS in Business Management to take over the business from Dad.

Sloane went into the Navy and graduated from the Naval Academy. The family doesn't see him often, since he lives in Norfolk, Virginia, but he phones often.

Shaylan was studying Political Science and majoring in about four girlfriends. He minored in Religious Studies in preparation of going into the Marines as a chaplain. No one ever said that the chaplain had to be a virgin, or even Catholic, much to Mom's chagrin.

Siobhan has a Bachelor of Natural Science and she was in California learning more. She's dating a man who is going through medical school.

Scully, too, was in Political Science, but he was going to the Air Force Basic Training in Texas next year. Scully spoke several languages already and played violin, piano and flute. He hoped to get stationed at Langley, Virginia to be somewhat nearer to his parents.

Sarah was the princess, taking journalism classes, but more interested in raising a family with her husband, who was in the Army, stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia. Sarah plans to transfer her college credits and join him as soon as she can.

Seamus knew that he would have to do basic training in some branch of the service. He was hoping his parents would let him get by with a 2-year option, since the U.S. was not at war. He knew that he would have to have the widest field of study, since his mother wanted him to take her place as a Councillor. With four years minimum in college and two years minimum in the military, he hoped to be everything she needed him to be.

"Hello, my dear boy," Eileen Gilhoughley does not look to be in her mid-50's, but if anyone told her, she would blush and say it's due to good genetics. Her deep auburn hair was always tamed into a perfect hairstyle. Her deep blue eyes would always smile with her family, except for when the children misbehaved. Her disappointment could break a heart at 20 paces. At 5'7", and posture that was ramrod straight, and a sharp wit, she could be a force to be reckoned with in a debate. She, too, lived by the family motto, "Blood Before Others, God Above All." She actually puts the motto into her wedding vows, cutting her palm and sharing blood with her husband, as part of an ancient ceremony, much to the delight of her husband Earl's family.

Senan Earl Gilhoughley, patriarch with a velvet touch, came behind Eileen and gave his wife's shoulders a squeeze. "Hello, son," was all he said. At 5'11', Earl was not the tallest man, but his mischievous personality would fill a hall with laughter. He, too, stood ramrod straight, part of a strict, but loving upbringing. His father was a Gardai, in Ireland for most of his life, and Earl learned lifelong lessons at his father's side. "Come," said Earl, "let's feed yer scrawny bones."

Lunch was a table filled with a buffet and Seamus was nearly tripped by his nephew, with a niece on his sister-in-law Karen's lap. With seven children, Seamus supposed his parents would soon be surrounded by grandchildren. He knew they wouldn't have it any other way.

His thoughts circled back to himself and that beautiful sight from his first night in the dorm, Mary Catherine. Her name filled his head at the strangest times. He would find something funny and would want to share it with her. However, it would be a bit odd to walk up to and almost stranger and share something she might not have seen. Still, she was in his magical history class, so she can't be all bad... unless she's a dragon, maybe. She had sandy-blonde hair and a cherubic face, he doubted dragons grew like that. Her Green eyes pierced him the moment their eyes met. Slim, but athletic, she wouldn't break if he hugged her. In fact, she'd probably smack the malarkey right out of his mouth before he could speak it.

"Oi! Quit yer day dreaming and set the table like yer Ma asked ya!" Da interrupts his reverie.

"Yes, Da." And so, life goes on.