Mystic Illusions - A 100 Baby Challenge: 32

Maia spent a great deal of time teaching the twins their toddler skills.

It wasn’t easy, since there was only one of her and two of them.

But when she was working with one, she directed the other to work on skills they could learn on their own.

She also made sure they spent plenty of time with their IF’s.

Speaking of which, Seth also made his IF, Bobo, real.

But Maia was worried about her son. As a mummy, Seth never slept, and spent a great deal of time alone because of that. And unlike other children, he couldn’t move very quickly, and Maia was concerned that would affect many aspects of his life, including his health and school attendance.

He never complained, but Maia felt like she should at least broach the subject and see what Seth thought about his condition.

“Seth, if you could stop being a mummy, would you want to?”

Seth’s visible eye brightened. “Could I do that?”

“I don’t know for certain, but I think it might be possible with a spell or a potion,” Maia answered, thinking of how Zander had been turned into a fairy. Spells usually had counter-spells, and potions often had cures, so it should be possible. “Do you think you’d like to try something like that?”

“Yeah! That would be awesome! I could run, and maybe even catch someone when we play tag! And I wouldn’t stay all soggy after I took a bath. And I wouldn’t have to worry about getting too close to the fireplace anymore. Can we do it, mom? Can we do it right now??”

“Well, first I have to figure out how we’re going to do it,” Maia said. “And I want to make sure that whatever we do, that it’s safe. But then, and if you’re sure, we certainly can.”

“Oh thank you, you’re the best mom!” Seth said, hugging her.

But Maia didn’t feel like the best mom. How could she have not realized how great of a struggle life was for her son on a daily basis? Appearance didn’t seem to be an issue for him in a town where everyone looked different, but everything else was. Maia was determined to make things better for Seth as quickly as possible.

But where to start? She decided to check her library first. Maybe there were some spellbooks there that could teach her something that might help.

But while searching for magical texts, Maia discovered something else… one of the library bookshelves was a secret door!

Intrigued, Maia went to investigate.

The passage led downstairs to a room. There were many books and scrolls there, as well as a gem-cutting machine, but what caught her eye was another bookshelf.

Maia reached around some books and discovered it, too, was a hidden door.

This door led to a long, torch-lit tunnel.

Maia felt her way through and found a wall with an odd crack in it.

After pressing on different areas of the wall for several minutes, part of the wall swung open.

Maia walked into a room that was filled with magical items, including a witch’s cauldron, a crystal ball, and a huge stand with a large, heavy book.

Maia opened the book, and after a few moments of reading, realized the stand was an alchemy station. She could learn everything she wanted about alchemy right here, without needing to apprentice to someone!

But after a bit of studying, she realized that it would take a long time to level up in alchemy to learn something that would help Seth, and she desperately wanted to improve his childhood now.

She decided to visit the alchemy shop in town. Perhaps they had something already prepared that would help Seth.

But while the shopkeeper was eager to help, he explained that potions like the one Maia sought were rare and they didn’t have anything like that currently in stock. Furthermore, there was no telling when one would be available.

“But you’re a witch,” the shopkeeper said. “I can tell by your golden aura. You could learn the alchemical cure quicker than most, and you’re free to use our alchemy station here if you need.”

“I’m a fairly new witch, and I’ve only just discovered alchemy,” Maia explained. “I was hoping for a faster method. You see, my son was born a mummy and he's having a hard time with everyday life because of it. I really want to improve his quality of life as soon as possible. Are there no alternatives?”

“There is another way, but it will require a journey to Al Simhara.”

Al Simhara. Maia shuddered. Dare she return to Egypt and risk being recaptured by her kidnappers and be responsible for not fulfilling her part of the prophecy? But if it meant a better life for Seth, Maia knew she would dare anything.

“What do I need to do?”

The shopkeeper explained that in some Al Simharan tombs there are blessed sarcophagi that can cure mummification. If a mummy were to rest in one for several hours, the curse would be removed.

Maia decided that and she and Seth were going to take a trip to Al Simhara, and headed home. But she didn’t leave the shop empty-handed. She rescued a Catalina Macaw in the parking lot.

She took the bird home and named it Rin.

The night before their big trip, Maia noticed an alien in her yard! She wondered if he was the same one who had abducted Zander, and went outside to talk to him.

“Can I help you?”

“Oh, I must have outdated coordinates. I was looking for a male specimen who no longer appears to reside here. My apologies for intruding.”

“Oh, well, yes, my friend Zander has moved out. But why are you searching for him? Is it about the baby?”

“Indeed! Not all Biomancers follow-up on the infants and their hosts, but I like to make sure everyone is doing well. I’m Paguk Ayohod, and it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, friend of Zander.”

“And I’m Maia. But may I ask what it is that a Biomancer does?”

“We Biomancers are able to guide and transplant living souls from other dimensions. We also have some minor healing abilities, known as bio-boosting, which aids our test subjects in achieving optimal health and well-being, though we are best known in this galaxy for our pollinations of human males.”

“Why pollinate only males, though? Why not reproduce with females instead, or at least additionally?”

“Reproducing with females is very tricky; it requires precise timing and even then it isn’t always successful. And since we must replenish our dwindling numbers, we also need to be certain that any infants born are also Biomancers. The best way to ensure that is with a host we know isn’t going to be carrying another child at the time, and with male test subjects, we can be fairly certain of that! So it’s just generally more efficient to impregnate men, though not every male is a good candidate.”

“But Zander is?”

“Quite so, and one of the best I’ve seen in awhile. He is well, though?”

“Yes, he’s in very good health, as is his son, Zane.”

“Excellent. You seem to be very interested in our culture. Might I inquire why?”

“Well, partly because Zander is my friend, and also because my daughter Kimberly married an alien, er... Biomancer.”

“That is unusual in this sector. What is his name?”

“Asewuk To’Vedachot.”

“Ah, Asewuk! We wondered where he’d gotten himself to. Crashed his ship, didn’t he?” Paguk said and laughed. “Asewuk is brilliant, but he never was a very skilled pilot. Did they have any children, by chance?”

“Yes, a daughter they named Cassiopeia. Other than having Kimberly's hair, she completely took after Asewuk.”

“Hmmm. Female Biomancers are rare. I wonder if being carried by a female increases the probability of producing a female infant,” he mused. “Would you be willing to help me test that hypothesis, Maia?”