Ghost and the Writer

Solus's stance

August had let out his seventeenth sigh for the day.

Externally those looked like simple sighs, August just wasn't that expressive as a person, but the emotion was pretty packed. Packed enough to send a warning ping through every single one of his familiars about it.

So Mirose kept count.

Talking a bit with Neo and Jan had let them put together a pretty good theory of what had happened, then talking with Lily and hearing what some beasts said told them the rest.

Mandy and Albus had both unknowingly overdosed on magical fruit called bunny fruit - an aphrodisiac that helped astrals with fertility - and cheated on August with each other. Albus, as a unicorn, could switch gender if needed, and that's what had happened, so their mischief had led to Mandy getting pregnant with quintuplets. Which was not a number of kids any astral could handle having at one time - that was set to knock her out for a month or more till those kids finish forming while sucking out every last drop of Mandy's aether.

August had been pissed enough to make Albus pregnant with the same number, so Albus could go and keep Mandy company through that suffering. A questionable form of revenge, but that's how their master was - he dished out questionable punishments.

Apparently, Leum and Veri had known and just laughed their asses off while Mandy and Albus overdosed on the fruit and then started making out. They, too, got a questionable punishment of going out and making an egg together.

And so, right now, the red-haired trio tried to comfort August with hugs and by braiding his now even longer hair with flowers. Rather than looking comforted, he seemed to show eyes of a dead fish, though, till Jan came up and rescued him by asking August to send some aether through gate parts.

They were currently in the central park - Jan was creating the gate and cooperating with engineers from Terrea, who were setting up a gate on their side as well. August had to frequently step in to send some aether signals through so the sides could synchronize different gate parts.

Mirose and Neo were there to set up illusions so no one would approach this part of the park. Also, to monitor for any suspicious appearances. Mirose handled the illusions, and Neo had partially taken over all the animals in the park, using their eyes as his own. They also handled communication with their newest family addition - a ruin elemental named Arbor and any other ruin elementals that stepped by, attracted by barrier shifts caused by setting up the gate.

Since Neo and Mirose had been experts at using visual telepathy, they easily picked up fae that was a lot like it and could talk with both Lily and Arbor with ease and same with other ruin elementals.

Arbor used to be a treant. August had once asked Arbor to shelter him and guide him in exchange for aether essences. That had already started the process of August overtaking the park (unknowingly). Right now, Arbor looked a lot like Lily, except he was male. His skin was the same dark ashen gray, he had elven ears, but his hair and eyes were pastel green. Arbor ordered other treants around and had them guard the place - in case anyone suspicious came, it would be mostly Arbor handling them.

Neo shared his vision with Mirose via telepathy. A suspicious person did appear - he looked a lot like Tiberius, but less muscular - Antony Galord, a cardinal rank paladin from the church. He was accompanied by Tiberius and Grisham, which probably meant he wanted to talk to August. But first, he would need to get through them.

Mirose asked Arbor to take them to where the three were, and Arbor took them by hand, leading them out right in front of the visitors. Arbor stayed in the fae path, though, leaving before the three would spot him.