Chapter 8: Rookies

~~ Delta - July/02 - (Earth - Jan/2095) ~~

For the Ubobo’s, their first Sunday in Utopia was an interesting day.

Lee had arranged a meeting with their father. She had transported them all to Watson Island to meet their other siblings and his husband and wife. The whole family had been shocked when Glenda told them he had one of each.

Allan was very nervous at meeting his older children after more than four years of absence. Zak and Darla had to fuck him to exhaustion to get him to stop stressing the night before.

When Lee and Sean arrived with the kids, they found Allan standing between the two Genteli, holding their hands tightly. Darla held Eve and Zak had Brian.

Allan watched as Justin stepped up to him. ‘My god he is my spitting image,’ he thought with shock. He stood and stared at his firstborn son. The next thing he knew, he had Justin wrapped in his arms in a tight bear hug.

Tears were soon rolling down many faces as they watched father and son hug each other tightly. Allan finally stepped back and looked at Justin but didn’t let him go, “I’m so proud of you son for looking after your brothers and sisters.”

The tears in Justin’s eyes fell. His father couldn’t have said anything better to him if he had tried. Over the last nearly four years, he often had doubts that he was doing the right thing taking them all in. But to hear his father praise him for doing so, made it all worthwhile.

Justin wiped his face and introduced the kids to their real dad. Allan hugged them all in turn. When he got to Kim, he looked at her strangely and put his hands to her cheeks, so he was looking into her face.

“Hmm, a Ubobo if I have ever met one. You have your great-grandmother in you, young lady. It will be interesting to see how you turn out.” Kim wrapped her arms around his chest, and he hugged her tight.

They spent some time getting to know each other over a long lunch. Zak and the younger boys hit it off right away, as they were as sports and exercise mad as he was. He was also very mechanically minded, so he had no trouble relating to them.

The other girls were all entranced by Darla, Barbie and Ariel in particular. They thought it was pretty cool having a Princess for a stepmother. Justin and Kim, however, stayed closest to Allan. The three had a strong affinity, and it showed.

Lee believed the project she had been working on, had its first two candidates in front of her. After lunch, most of the clan were busy in the pool and entertainment area. Lee asked Allan if he wouldn’t mind bringing Kim and Justin with him. She took them in the Ceremonial room where they had indoctrinated the Shields. Allan was curious as to why they were there.

“I’ve been thinking of the problem of not having enough wizards,” she told them as she removed two boxes of a bright polished coppery hue from behind a partition in the wall. She placed them on the table.

“With my discussions with Aronha and her dragonkin and the faeries, I learnt that the Keltria people of long ago had several stages to their people becoming wizards. One of the first stages was the novices or rookies, as I’ve decided to call them.”

“The second is mages then high-mages and if they are lucky, they got to be apprentice wizards, then full wizards. Shields are a special type of mage. Most rookies never get to the mage stage, and only a handful of mages got to apprentice wizard stage.”

She looked at the perplexed faces in front of her. “I believe you two are candidates to become rookies,” she told them.

Allan suddenly beamed at her. “That’s what I felt when I hugged them. That they were like me,” he said. Lee nodded in agreement.

Justin looked at Kim and then back at Lee, “What does a rookie do?”

“It’s good that you asked, as it will be your decisions to accept or reject the offer, I have for you. Rookies have some basic magical abilities. They tend to specialise in one or two different fields, metal or non-metal elements, liquids, gases, plants, healing, animals or energies, both mental and physical, to name a few.”

“Your father has a strong affinity to sound type energy fields and mostly non-metallic elements. I wouldn’t be surprised if you two have very similar abilities.”

“Like our abilities to find gems?” Kim asked, intrigued.

“Exactly like that ability. I’ve also been told you’re musically gifted. Justin’s preference for stringed instruments suggests energies like his father, but your preference for wind instruments suggest a stronger affinity to air movements. I have noticed two strong traits in you both.”

“I also understand you had both been put in accelerated learning programs, which is also telling. It’s these facts that make me believe you would make excellent rookies.” She looked between them, “This may mean you will get to mage status, but you may not go beyond, only time will tell.”

They nodded that they understood. “Now I doubt if you will learn to teleport like us, but I believe you can both develop many useful skills that will help out our communities. You will need to come here every second Sunday and attend the wizard’s meetings and do training.”

“You are not, and I repeat not, allowed to use your special skills to harm another. You can use them to protect yourself or another but must avoid harm if possible. Do you understand?” They both nodded solemnly realising this was a really big deal.

“These boxes are like our wizard boxes. They will have the final say in deciding who is acceptable to them. While I can see the potential, it is up to them. I realise this is a bit sudden. You are welcome to go away and think about it. This is a lifetime commitment on your part. I will think none the less of either of you if you decide not today.”

Both the kids looked at each other and then at Allan. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “I will still be proud of both of you, whatever your choice. It has to feel right in here,” he said and put his hand on his heart. “If it doesn’t, then now is not the right time.”

Lee was impressed. Allan had come a long way from the self-centred man she had met five years before. She was glad she had trusted her instincts and given him the apprentice’s box.

She also believed that his new relationship with Zak and Darla had a lot to do with him being more concerned about the needs of others. She had liked seeing the way he held their hands earlier. He had allowed his vulnerability to show, but he had also demonstrated his willingness to let those who loved him, support him.