Chapter 7

“Tommy, come here,” Jax said.

Tommy stood in front of Jax. She bent forward when Jax indicated for her to do so. Jax then dropped a silver chain over her head with a rectangular medallion hanging from it with a large Quaz crystal in the middle.

“I felt the need to increase your Earth skills as I think it is your primary skill. I’ve added an emerald at the top that represents this skill. I’ve also added a diamond and an olivine gem like you already have on the bracelet.”

Jax then asked Tommy to show her the bracelet and pressed an emerald under the bar. She then added a similar gem to Tommy’s wand.

“That gives you three strong items, two major skillsets and my enhancement gem that seems to boost whatever skills you are capable of.”

“Oh, goodness me! That feels great,” Tommy squealed in delight.

“Eddie, for you, I felt Physics was a good choice as your primary skill,” Jax told him.

She placed the chain over his head and added amethysts to his exiting items. Eddie smiled broadly at this new development.

“Ernie, you seem to be more affiliated with Nature,” Jax told him as the medallion settled on his breast, and she then added the extra opals and olivines to his old items.

“Let me guess; I’m Energy?” Bluey offered with a grin.

“Yes, you are, so that is why you are getting the rubies,” chuckled Jax as she fixed him up.

“Well, I’m sure David is Lore, so that leaves Psychic for me if you’re doing the full set,” Blair smiled.

“It appears that I am. Since you gained Captaincy at a modestly young age, and I’ve seen how you lead people and make choices, it seems a good option,” Jax told him.

She then gave Blair his new medallion and then added the topazes and olivines to his other items.

“Wait, what about David since we already have diamonds too,” Blair asked.

“What do you suggest?” Jax asked him with a smile.

“Energy seems a good choice,” Blair stated.

“Yeah, that one seems a given, but he is also good with anything mechanical like you, Jax, so maybe, Earth would also work,” Ernie offered.

“He is pretty good with manipulating fluids, too,” Eddie offered.

“What about you David, which discipline do you think you would like?”

“How about you just give me the medallion. I’m sure that it will match what I already have, and the four disciplines I have are fine by me,” David replied laconically.

“What? He has four like you, Jax?” Eddie replied in shock.

“Well, I really have five gems, plus the special. But yes, David has always had Lore, Energy, Earth, and Physics, but the gems were rather small. I didn’t make his bracelet as I found it with the one that I wear.”

“Bloody hell! No wonder you two keep zonking me,” Blair declared.

“He does have a point, Jax. I think you should give him Nature too. It really has several side disciplines, and Nature seems to go well with Psychic and Lore. I think he is strong enough to handle the upgrade,” David said to Jax.

“Yes, that would complement you better,” Jax said.

She reached into her pack and pulled out a small wooden box that she had found in the storeroom. She rummaged around inside of it and removed three blue and green speckled opals to press into Blair’s items.

His items accepted the new gems, and Blair found himself buzzing with the powers that he felt had been enhanced.

“Bloody hell, this is bonza,” Blair stated.

Eddie frowned for a minute, then looked at Tommy with the little Nix girls cuddled into her neck. She looked absolutely charming to him. The look Tommy gave back said all he needed to know. What truly made his life magical was that Tommy loved him.

Eddie looked at his new medallion and knew the new gems would just enhance and expand what he could already do, and he could live with that. He wasn’t as quick as the others at picking up new things.

He felt a tug on his ear and chuckled, “Yes, we have got you, great kids, too. My life is good. In fact, my new life is a blessing, and I am a content shapeshifter.”

To his surprise, Jax kissed his cheek. “You have come a long way Eddie Russo, and you have a long life ahead, so you can still achieve a lot more when you are ready.”

Eddie chuckled and then surprised everyone when he said, “Yes, I’m going to knock Tommy up and make her give me a girl and a boy to go with our other kids. It’s just as well I’m bisexual as I’ve always wanted kids.”

The others had to laugh when Tommy squealed, and she launched herself at Eddie. The girls flew off his shoulders, so they didn’t get squashed. Eddie had to hug Tommy tightly to his body. He then gave her a soft, loving kiss.

The Nix kids all danced in the air and had to chuckle at their new parents’ antics. As far as the kids were concerned, while they missed their real parents, they already loved Tommy and Eddie.

They felt safe with them and knew the mages would look after them.

Jax and David blinked the crew and the duffle bags of supplies they had prepared to the Nix’s village.

They found the Nix very busy cleaning up the grounds of their village. They all seemed to have some magical ability, and levitation was one spell they used a lot, so they could lift heavier loads.

Mai met them and smiled broadly as she said, “Greetings, visitors from afar. Since we now have all this area where the large animals can no longer trample our crops, we thought to get some of the ground ready for the spring. Winter is nearly over.”

“Oh, we can help with that,” Tommy told her. “Eddie and I thought we could move a lot of the bigger logs for you today.”

Ernie then said, “There are a couple of downed trees we could use to make you a cabin, Tommy. If we use that short cliff face just over there, we can burrow into it and put a log cabin in front of it, so you have somewhere to stay closer to the Nix when you want to visit them.”