Of Flights and Family....

The man still fires but, with his concentration having been disturbed, the bolt flies well wide.

Over a log and through a stream the little vixen runs. Into a nearby forest glen she runs....and disappears from view.

A bit later, back at the village...

Astra, Joan, and the other adventurers are quietly talking with each other. The talks are idle, for it had been universally agreed that until Andrea returned that any further serious talks of defenxe and such would be so much of building great fortresses in the air, so useless it would be without any hard data. Cederick had retired to one corner of the room of the inn that had become a temporary HQ, speaking softly with the satyres while the others were in another corner.

Presently, Joan is talking softly about recent happenings with the dragon mage's family the analogs and the Golems (Probe's family) who've adopted him and that particular dragon mage (who they call Synizn, but who's proper name would be Dragon Synizn ).

"So how is Roland taking the news?" Joan asks, a slight laugh in her voice, "That he's your brother?"

Dragon Synizn

"Well enough, considering everything that he and his friends have had to go through," I chuckle.

It's the way of the Golems like Probe, I found out early in life, to have a slightly....different view about those who swear fealty to him and his. See, early on in his life when Probe and his kind were still just AI people and in the employment of the Military, a custom he developed out of desire for kin and family that all those below an AI commander were considered....after a trail period....the sons and daughters of the "Head of the Family" (the Commanding Officer of the unit.....not necessarily a male). The "Head of the Family" was either the "Mother" or "Father", but the Executive Officer need not necessarily fill the role of the "Head of Family's" better half. Point in fact, according to Probe, there were AI families out there in the Military (his or the Alliance's Military) with no better half in it as of yet....but I digress here. Tiamat's blood, 'tis confusing enough as it is.....

Anyway, this somewhat clandestine custom (the human branch of higher rank within the Military turned a blind eye to it) has taken root amongst the Golems of Terra Prime. Indeed, even the old Atlantian golems Probe had meet so long ago (re: 2118) had met so long ago had morphed into Golems, so soon did they adopt Probe's kind of religious belief and customs! So, it is indeed not only a rare, but quiet the honor to be accepted as a vassal!

See, when I (re: 2825) and Roland the Gunslinger (re: 14495) had sworn ourselves in service to Probe due to his heroics created a debt of blood for both of us, we both did not quiet realize what we were getting into here.

See, Probe had reservations about taking me on servants due to in part that had such a bitter time upon his awakening, when the Company had tried to claim him as property. The other part is, by the way things are on Terra Prime (as many of her sister worlds)....that taking on "servants" has developed into adopting a new member of the family. That's not something that he takes lightly!

I had been taken aback by this unexpected side of Probe's nature.....of all Golem's nature, actually. See, I'd made the mistake, long ago, of thinking that Inquirer had only became able to love the Doctor upon her becoming a Golem...gaining whatever equivalents to bio- chemistry that her body had in there. For some reason, despite all he'd said and done, I still found I had preconceptions about him (and AI people) only coming into true feelings of recent times. But through all I know now, Golems were the way they were even before becoming Golems. Meaning that I've been adopted by an entity as his son who'd been able to have all the feelings of a biological entity even before his transfiguration.

Meaning that though it's not like Roland is going to become a Champion due to being adopted....it does not diminish the fact that he's now Probe's newest adopted son....and my brother, now.

Roland had expected many things upon his quest for the Dark Tower, but he'd never expected this. Tiamat's blood, point in fact he'd said he'd never expected that his quest end on such a peaceful note as it had when he finally got there.

Not that he's complaining....mind you. It's kind of growing on him.....the same way it did on me. See, I've....grown to rather like this arrangement. An arrangement that's moved for me beyond merely of a master/servant relationship and into the realm of a father/son relationship.

It's the way of the Golem, you see, and I've been ensnared by it.

And,by the fact that my newest brother, Synizn 3 marrying Malachi 2, this group that' I've thrown my fate in with is now truly is a family.

All this flashes through my mind as I smile softly.

"He's taking it well enough," I repeat myself a bit, "But the one who's still rather taken aback by all this is Jake. He's rather out of sorts having a dragon as an uncle and Probe and Evis 7 as grandparents!"

"I can imagine," Annafrid says, smiling.

More would be said, but that's about the time a scout (who'd been informed of Andrea's special nature) comes in with her in his arms, still in fox form.

Her being back so soon is a bit surprising, but not urgently so. However, what is more surprising is.....

1. "Why in Terra are you wearing a collar?" I ask her, perplexed.

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