Chapter 64: Two small wisps

Andrew and Bleda took the babies and headed to the hospital as soon as they learned that Nikola and the rest were in it.

Timmy was babbling something; Vera was babbling something back. The two looked snuggled like two peas in a pod in the stroller.

"You know," Andrew said, as he continued to push the babies towards the hospital. "I feel like a nanny."

Bleda snorted.

"And what are we, but nannies?" He asked, his tone teasing. "These two might see more of us than their parents. But, hey, that's still good."

Andrew blinked. He didn't understand what the necromancer meant.

"Oh?" He asked.

"And that is a good thing. I never expected to have children. It is impossible for necromancers, you know?" Bleda continued, as he sighed. "But I guess that I can always adopt. I think that if our family grows with another coffin birth, the locals are going to sharpen their pitchforks."

"I hope that there are no more coffin births," Andrew murmured. "Can you imagine how cruel it is to be born in a coffin? To have the world shown to you not through your own eyes, but through the memories of your dead mother?"

Timmy and Vera stopped with their babbling. They were looking at Andrew with wide eyes.

"I think you scared the kids," Bleda said, as he flicked both babies on the nose. "But I agree that something has to be done. Maybe if we pay a runesmith, he can come up with a good enough rune to stop it from happening? Or at least to get the babies out before the mother is placed in the coffin?"

Vera gave out an urgent babble. Timmy began to tear up.

"No, that doesn't mean we don't love you," Bleda told the two babies.

"It is just that we can't be there for all the children born like you," and that was a thought which threatened to put Bleda into a foul mood.

"We have the money to commission the creation of the rune," Andrew said. He smiled down at the babies. "And we don't mind being your nannies, ok? How else are we going to live our lives, if we don't hear your laughter?"

Timmy let out a small sob, Vera swatted him on the nose with her tiny hand.

"Come now, Vera," Andrew said, as he took her hand and placed it back on her tummy. "Don't be like that. Timmy is emotional, you know that."

Vera let out a little huff. Timmy yawned, closing his eyes.

"I wish I could have one of those," Bleda pointed at the stroller. "I think I will see if there is a baby in the orphanage this afternoon."

Andrew blinked.

"I… Bleda, we are not dating," the siren felt as the tips of his ear began to heat up.

"Meh, I can be a single father," Bleda countered. "I hope, at least. You know that I will never guilt-trip you for such a thing, right? You are your man."

Andrew nodded.

He didn't dare say that this made his knees go weak. He needed time to think.

And he hoped that Bleda would not move to greener pastures.

****

Nikola's eyes were twinkling when the two babies were brought to his hospital bed.

He took them both, resting them on his shoulders.

"Ok, happy squad, how about I tell you a story?" He asked, as the babies began to babble at him.

He placed them back in the stroller, tugging it closer to his bed.

"There was once a hero. An old guild master," Nikola began, as Bleda, Andrew, Dimitri, Jack, and Jean were perched on hospital beds by his side. "Who knew how to show tough love. He went in with a party, a brave party, and he killed the evil Bogarts!"

Vera gave out a giggle. Timmy began to blink.

"And that saved your papas!" Nikola finished.

Timmy finally smiled.

"How have you both been?" Nikola asked, as he petted them both on their heads.

Timmy patted his hand a couple of times so, as if he was trying to decide whether Nikola was real or not.

Vera giggled.

"They ate their meals with minimal fuss," Andrew decided to give his reports. Seeing as, no matter how smart the two babies were, they still could not talk. "I might have sung them to sleep a couple of times too much. Bleda, do you wish to add something?"

Bleda nodded.

"I got them to do a purging ritual," he said, as he smiled at Nikola. "Now we don't have any flies in the apartment anymore."

"Bleda!" Dimitri protested. "They are babies, and you made them do magic?"

Bleda just shrugged.

"The mana has to go somewhere. Or they will be in pain. Have you ever heard how a teething child cries?"

Dimitri nodded.

"Yeah, that would have been 100 times worse."

Bleda then nudged Andrew once more.

"And we have some progress on getting a house for us all," the siren said, pulling out some papers. "It is within the town's walls, which are getting repaired, by the way. Right next to a lovely park, where the two can play. There is a small stream running through the property. I bought it already. Niki, do you mind if I hire some locals to build it? They need the job."

Nikola nodded. He knew in just what sort of condition the locals were in. He couldn't deny them this chance.

"Good, and the goblins can mine more mana stones," Nikola finally stopped petting the babies, only to prop himself on the pillows. "I think that we should play a more active role in the upkeep for my goblins. As soon as I get out of the hospital, I need to have a grilling party!"

Dimitri grinned.

He had missed Nikola's cooking.

"They can live off from the produce the octopus gives them," Andrew said.

Nikola shrugged.

"Yes, but does grilling meat and vegetables not show love and care?"

The goblins had made him rich. He didn't want to disappoint them.

"About the goblins," Dimitri said, as he took out a piece of paper. "Some of them are eager to join the Adventurer's Guild. Now that we are in a magical world."

Nikola nodded.

"They are free to. I will speak with Guild Master Arnold."

He didn't know it, but the goblins were listening in from their dimension. The thought that they will get warm food and a chance for glory made them dance a jig.

For they had wanted to be thought of as normal beings their entire lives.