“Go faster. No monster will wait for you all.” Said Nikola as his boys ran laps on the beach. He didn’t know why the boys, well, apart for the two youngest ones, decided they needed to train now. But he guessed that the Pixui must have rattled them. Nathaniel had come to him and asked for magic lessons. But Nikola himself hadn’t started with magic.

He still remembered the months of grueling training Azazel put him through before he was allowed to learn a simple lighting spell. While the angel never told him why he did it, Nikola had been an able warrior already, but he must have had his reasons. And while he had skipped this step with Wei Zhaohui, he was not going to make any half measures with the boy’s siblings.

“Ok, now start doing sit ups.” Said Nikola and the boys complied. Wei Tu was doing slight jumps after each sit up and Nikola found this hopping around adorable. He wished to hug his son then, but held himself back. Of all the four-year-old children Wei Longwei seemed to be the most dedicated to the task. Nikola suspected that he already did plenty of exercise on his own. For how else could he be this good with the sword? But seeing as the boy was an inexhaustible fountain of energy Nikola decided to let the matter go. He had been Master Wang and knew all about training children, after all.

“Ok, time for a snack and afterwards I will take you all for a swim.” Said Nikola as Wei Xiang began to show signs of tiredness. He had to remember that while Nathaniel, Ryota and Wei Longwei had been adults, mostly, the rest of his children were just that. Wei Tu hopped to Nikola and hugged his legs.

“Papa, can we have magic juice?” He asked and hit Nikola with his best puppy dog eyes. Nikola didn’t know what passed for magic juice these days. The kids practically drank potions as if they were water.

“What type of juice is that?” Asked Nikola and the boy hopped up with his little hands raised. Nikola picked up Wei Tu and kissed his cheek.

“Red berry that makes the bobos go away.”

Nikola checked his son for an injury but found nothing.

“Why do you need one? You seem to be well.” He said and Wei Tu looked down.

“It’s for the big lion in the pool.” Said the toddler and Nikola sighed. His younger children did not understand that the Pixui was dead. And how had it drowned was a mystery for Nikola.

“I’ll make you apple juice instead. Your favorite. What do you say?” Wei Tu grinned and nuzzled his face against Nikola’s. Of all the younger children he was the most affectionate. Nikola stared at his children. The younger ones were all miniature copies of him. Down to his curls and green eyes. But they had plenty of their mothers as well.

Wei Longwei looked Chinese, even though his coloring was anything but. The triplets were very tall for their age and would become as tall as Penemue, if not taller.

With his task of making juice Nikola left the children to play. Or to pick up sticks and bother Wei Longwei for swordsmanship lessons. On the way he picked Wei Jiang and Wei Tian and carried them to the cooking area of the camp. They could eat food but they needed blood, just as all of Wei Caihong’s children did. He gave them two bottles of blood and watched as they sipped from their medicine.

Wei Liling was stirring something in a pot. It, unlike the blood, smelt like medicine. Nikola peered inside and then poked his daughter on the shoulder.

“What is this and who is it for.” He asked and Wei Liling pointed at some guards.

“I am making herbal paste for them. We don’t have a doctor apart from mama and they got injured while sparing. I want to make things easier on mama.” Nikola ran a hand through Wei Liling’s curls and the girl smiled up at him.

“One day, when you are a princess, you will have your entire people to look after. Will you make them herbal pastes too?” Wei Liling knew of her future. She had overheard her father telling Wei Longwei’s future one day and had demanded to know hers. She found it very romantic that she will find her soulmate one day and she strived to learn all she could about Scythia.

“You bet, papa. I will take care of everyone.” Nikola kissed his daughter’s brow and made another cooking pit and stocked it with wood and kindling. He made a fire and placed a pot with water on it. Then he began to cut up apples and to dump them in the pot. Father and daughter worked on their different tasks and when the Emperor came to their area, they didn’t notice him at first.

The Emperor cleared his throat and both of them bowed their heads.

“I wish for the Pixui to be stuffed and preserved for my palace.” Said the Emperor and Nikola could already guess what was coming next. “And I wish for you to do it, brother.”

“Well, certainly. The Pixui is already dragged from the water so it won’t get further damaged. But wouldn’t you want to use it’s body for something else, your Imperial Majesty? I know of a few potions that can prolong your longevity using the eyes. And the blood can make even baren land fertile.”

The Emperor considered it and then picked up some sand.

“Can the blood make sand into soil?” He asked and Nikola nodded.

“Not the entire coast. There will be enough for a single farm. But it’s doable.”

“You make the potion for Han Guo. And make soil next to the grottos. There I will build my summer home.” With that the Emperor left and Nikola stared after him. He had expected that the Emperor would want the potion for himself. But the man had pleasantly surprised Nikola. Perhaps he wasn’t so bad, after all.

The juice bubbled happily in the pot as Wei Liling told her father to get her herbal paste off the fire. They spoke about what Wei Liling had learned today and she said that she was beginning to learn how to deal with fevers. It seems that some of the advisors for the Emperor had gone down with fevers and Wei Caihong was teaching Wei Liling the traditional method of handling them.

“I can teach you how to deal with them with magic. The chant is a simple song.” Said Nikola and he began to sing. Wei Liling wrote the words down and then rushed towards the advisors to try this new spell out.

Satisfied that he had thought his daughter something useful Nikola got the juice out of the fire and placed it in bottles to cool. Looking towards the ocean he could see mermaids trying to be sneaky and staring at the camp. He had spoken with them, even though he had wanted to kill them all off initially, and they agreed that as long as no one came into the deeper sections of the water they’ll keep their distance.

Picking up the bottles he went to where he left the boys only to see that they had paired up against each other and were swatting at each other with branches. He cleared his throat and got their attention.

“Apple juice. One bottle per person. Costs a hug per person.” He said in his best handler voice. Soon the bottles were all taken and Nikola received his hugs. He sat down with the children and watched as they drank their juice.

“I will always protect you. You all know that, right?” He asked them and the younger ones looked at him as if they couldn’t understand him.

“And when you die?” Asked Wei Xiang. The death of the Pixui had made his parents explain to him about death in general. Now the boy went around and made everyone promise not to die. Which was adorable, if a bit morbid.

“I will never die.” Said Nikola, smiling down at his children. “I ate a phoenix long ago so it’s impossible.”

“Yes, but the phoenix died for it, didn’t it?” Asked Wei Xiang. Nikola wasn’t so sure about that. There were times when he felt as if he wasn’t alone at all. The phoenix must be in constant state of hibernation inside of him.

“It is not dead. The phoenix is the symbol of the eternal for a reason.”

“But even if you don’t die you will leave.” Said Wei Tu, his bottom lip quivering. “I heard you speak with mama and auntie that you will leave China for India in sixteen years.”

“And you won’t come with me?” Asked Nikola, faking hurt into his voice. Wei Tu ran up to him and hugged him as if afraid his words will make his father cry.

“I will come!” He said and the rest of the children chorused. Which surprised Nikola, since Wei Longwei had to be with Loki in Siberia in about three hundred years.

“You are all good children.” Praised Nikola and he opened his arms wider, beckoning his sons to pile into them. Relaxing on the sand Nikola tickled any surface he could get his hands on. The children were reduced to giggles and that was how Wei Caihong found them.

“Nikola, did you teach Wei Liling healing magic?” Asked Wei Caihong clearly annoyed. Nikola turned to look at him. His arms were crossed before his chest and his right foot was tapping the sand.

“She said you needed help.” He answered and then he heard a sigh coming from Wei Caihong.

“Yes, well, now the Emperor is trying to talk me into giving Wei Liling to Han Wukong’s son. And if that is not enough Wei Lihua asked me why we don’t teach her magic.”

“Han Wukong has a son?” This was news to Nikola. He had heard of a marriage for the former werewolf but not of a child.

“The news came today. He has a newborn son. Go deal with the Emperor.” Demanded Wei Caihong and Nikola got himself out of the pile.

“You’ll stay with the children?” He asked his husband and Wei Caihong nodded. Sitting down and getting Wei Yuze into his lap.

“Children, how would you like to learn a little bit ice magic?” Asked Wei Caihong and was met with chorus of exited yells.

Nikola had a two-hour long discussion with the Emperor about Wei Liling and when he finally admitted that he had seen in the future of his daughter the Emperor had been ecstatic.

“Scythia, eh? Brother, this is most advantageous. We can hit Xiongnu at both sides. I will write to the King of Scythia and have him bring his son here. They would have to pass either through Persia, which is their enemy. Or Xiongnu, which is ours. But Scythia is strong. I am sure they’ll manage somehow.”

A clap on the shoulder and Nikola was let to return back to his family. The corpse of the Pixui waited by the cooking area and Nikola gathered his children.

“Magic is a bloody business.” Said Nikola sternly. Even Wei Jiang and Wei Tian were present, even if they were only two years old. “And it demands a sacrifice. Some times it is simply your energy. But most often than not it is this.” He said, placing a hand on the Pixui’s pelt.

“Blood and bone are the bread and water of any ritual.” Clarified Nikola as he was met with confused stares. “And today I will teach you how to skin and distribute meat. Now, show me your daggers.” The children raised daggers high in the air, looking a little bit green.

Nikola had been six when he skinned his fist animal. It wasn’t fair that he was starting his children so young. But if they hoped to become powerful mages they had to start from this point. And from today on he would teach them everything he knew.