Life After Death

Lancelot/Mikaela: meet and greet

{Lancelot}

For some reason, our wives had met without us and decided our two families should get together. I didn't think this was wise, but kept my opinions to myself. Since the two of us didn't look identical, I could only hope that neither of our families would get confused.

They arrived just before midday; my wife had pulled the children out of school to be here. I didn't understand why this was so important, but Mirael and Larachime had had the last word.

"You two were exceptionally close," Mirael remarked quietly to my brother. "Don't throw that friendship away."

The children, on the other hand, did not share their parent's misgivings. Soon, Jave and Parazide were running about the house, Beo and Joshuk were arm wrestling, and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

Siriah came up to me with puzzled expression. Admittedly, it wasn't very social of me to be leaning against the wall and not speaking, but it was my house.

"Why is there so much trouble between you two?" she asked. "Shouldn't you be happy to see your brother?"

"Seven years is a long time, Siriah."

I sighed, knowing I had several more hours to go before I got my house back.

"Seven years is more than my whole life," she remarked. "And I can see several more into the future. But since we all live forever, seven years shouldn't truly be a long time."

"You're close with Dhaktun, right?"

Siriah nodded at me.

"So imagine if you just walked out that door and didn't return until you were sixteen. You would feel differently about Dhaktun then you did previously. You would have seven years of memories without him. Now I have to meld my old world with my twin, to my new world with my family. It's a challenge."

"If you say so," she replied. "Or it just needs more time."

Dhaktun came running around the corner, skidding a bit on the wood floor.

"Siriah, you going to talk to adults all day or join some games?" he demanded.

"Games aren't fun when you know who is going to win," she told him. "I'll only be a nuisance."

"You know I'm going to stand here until you come with me," he said.

"And I know that you won't if I start telling embarrassing stories about you," she countered. "I don't want to play, Dhaktun."

He grumbled and then slumped away. She shook her head.

"Being a seer is not always fun," she told me. "But at least I can blackmail my brother well."

"I don't have that talent."

Mirael and Larachime emerged from the kitchen, laughing and talking. My brother was not with them. Siriah took her leave, following her brother out of the entry hall.

"Why the glum face?" Larachime asked me. "Our families aren't that incompatible."

"I'm just a little tired."

I gave a halfhearted yawn and shrugged. "Long night or something. What game are the children playing? Dhaktun came in trying to recruit Siriah."

"I have no idea," Mirael said. "I just hope they remember that Jave is only four and that Arnoc has no business in their games."

"Arnoc will be fine," Larachime assured her. "Don't worry about him. Jave was showing me some of his paintings. I thought most creation mages were into sculpture and tangibles like that."