Oliver, Mother Veny, Gloomy, and Alfie sat in a carriage laden with bags scattered across the floor. The gentle rocking of the vehicle did little to ease Mother Veny's exhaustion.
Sigh. "I'm so tired. When will I finally get home? It feels like forever since I've seen it," Mother Veny muttered, a strange discomfort settling over her at being away for so long.
"Haha, Mother Veny, you should enjoy being outside sometimes! You're way too closed up in your house," Alfie said jokingly, flashing a teasing grin.
"Huh? You brat, and why is that?" Mother Veny huffed. "Those stupid husband and Julia never help around the house, and my little kids are always running around making messes. I have to do everything alone! And you guys just come over and make everything dirty. Next time, I'm making sure you clean up your own mess with your own hands!! And don't even think about not coming to my house—if you don't come then forget about me ever cooking for you again for the rest of your life! This housewife has the word 'house' attached to her identity, so my house is my life." She crossed her arms indignantly, her face set in a stubborn pout.
"Haha, Mother Veny, don't be so uptight. You know we can't live without your cooking, so why not decrease our pressure just a little, my beautiful mother?" Oliver smiled handsomely, his voice smooth and coaxing as he tried to win her over.
Seeing his shameless expression, Mother Veny smirked and huffed again. "You little rascal! Do you think my own teaching will work on me? Do you have any shame? Did it work on Emmy? You rascal, if you dare play with Emmy's heart, I'll kill you with my own hands! Don't forget—you need everyone's permission to get to Emmy, so be respectful to your elders." Mother Veny's voice carried the weight of absolute authority.
Embarrassed, Oliver immediately began massaging her legs. "Mother Veny, please don't be harsh on your child. See? I'll make your tiredness disappear with this handsome man's massage."
"Hey, you two little brats, come here! Mother Veny is tired—massage her shoulders and legs," Oliver commanded, gesturing to Alfie and Gloomy.
The three boys immediately began pampering Mother Veny, their hands working diligently.
"Yes, a little there—good, good. Alfie, below the knee—yes, do it properly. Gloomy, put more effort into it! Just because you're wearing girls' clothes doesn't mean your strength becomes like that. Be a man and put more effort in!"
But I'm also tired, Gloomy thought miserably, though he kept his hands moving.
As Mother Veny relaxed into the massage, Oliver eyes suddenly caught sight of several figures flying above their carriage. His expression sharpened instantly as he stood up, focusing intently on the people passing overhead. Alfie noticed his reaction and came to the carriage door, peering out. He saw them too.
The two exchanged a meaningful glance before turning to Mother Veny with surprising formality. They bowed simultaneously. "Mother Veny, we'll take a slight detour. You and Gloomy should continue toward Sio's house. We'll meet you at Miss Emmy's house. I've told her everything, so you can start right away. We'll be back soon."
"Waiiittt, where are you—"
THUMP!
Oliver kicked the carriage door open and jumped out, Alfie following close behind.
"MOOOOOOOOO! What's with kicking my carriage door and leaving me behind with so many bags?! I'm not going anywhere now! I'm not going to help someone who isn't even being serious! Hmph!" Mother Veny burst out in frustration.
Gloomy's face fell. Why did you leave me behind? Whyyyyy!
The carriage driver called back nervously, "Miss, do you want to change the destination?"
"NOOO, I don't want to! Just keep going where we told you! I'll kill those bastards later!" Mother Veny pouted in anger, then noticed Gloomy standing awkwardly beside her. "Come here. Let me recharge a bit." She pulled him into a hug.
Gloomy's expression remained gloomy as he sighed quietly. "I guess I'm the only one the Author doesn't like."
"Huh? What did you say? What author? Gloomy, you sometimes say weird things. Stop being like this, or no one will marry you in the future!"
"Hmm," Gloomy nodded, then suddenly asked, "Mother Veny, I have a question regarding marriage. Why does everyone in our group have an abnormal family? Big Brother Blake and Big Sister Fia have two mothers and one father. Brother Zack and Sister Sasha only have Grandpa. Both princesses only have Queen Mother. Sio has only a mother. I also only have a mother. Alfie has Leader. Brother Oliver parents are not in this world anymore. Sister Maren has three fathers and a single mother!" He took a deep breath before continuing. "What's up with this weird lineup?"
Hearing this, Mother Veny laughed heartily. "Ahahahaha! Gloomy, what's with this weird question? Isn't this normal? I mean, I understand your point of view—a single mother and father is the ideal situation—but this is a harsh place to live in. When some people have extraordinary abilities that could change the landscape in minutes, it's okay to be, you know, a little cautious. If something ever happens to me someday, I'm sure my little ones will be okay with Julia and my husband around." She squeezed Gloomy gently, her thoughts drifting to the life she'd built.
"Mother Veny, nothing will happen to you. I'm sure of it!" Gloomy smiled reassuringly.
"Hehe, of course, you brat! What do you think? This mother has survived many days and will keep on surviving for the next thousand years!"
"Umm, Mother Veny, that's a bit too much, no one can live that long! Even Grandpa is around I think 150 yrs or so and that only because he has power, so he still looks a bit young despite being very old. Everyone knows he has power, but we've never seen him use it, so it's still a mystery, I guess," Gloomy said casually while relaxing in her embrace.
"Hmm, it's true—we've never seen Grandpa's power. Do you think he's bluffing? His face sure does make you wonder sometimes. How could a clown grandpa have any power?" Mother Veny laughed as she recalled her morning, then a warm smile spread across her face.
"Hmm, are you sure you want to go to Miss Emmy's house now, Mother Veny? It's already late. Won't your family be worried? And I'm again curious—since you and Mother Julia are both women, how come you both stay together? Do you also have sex with each other? But how could two women do it? I've never seen any women coming to our place to do it with my mother," Gloomy asked without any hesitation.
"Ahh!" Mother Veny's face turned bright red with embarrassment. "Huh—huh—Gloommmmyyy! Don't say it like that! I know you're more aware of these things because of your mother, but you shouldn't talk like that in front of others!"
"Huh? But I'm not talking in front of others, Mother Veny."
"Ah, right! Hehe, I guess so." Listening to him, she began rocking him gently left and right. Her voice softened as she spoke. "It's true that Julia and I are both women, and we also... you know... have s-sex. Women have their own means to have sex." Her face flushed deeper as she continued. "Why the same gender? Maybe it just happened. Similar to my previous answer—in this world, both men and women have the power to protect their loved ones, so I guess women depend on other women a lot, or men on other men. Certain situations can create new love. Women with women and men with men—it happens in this world. Everyone has their own choice, and it's okay to not like it, just like your mother. She doesn't like it, which is why no women come to her place. But I love Julia with my whole heart, which is why we live together and share happiness."
Mother Veny slowly calmed down, then spoke firmly, "That's enough, Gloomy, of this talk. We're reaching Sio's place soon, so shut your mouth. And Why are you speaking so much today?"
"Hmm, I don't know. Maybe I'm happy that my mother is meeting with the other mothers of mine, so maybe I'm a bit excited. Hehe." Gloomy smiled beautifully.
"Kyyyaaa! Gloomy, you're the best!" Mother Veny's doting began again as they slowly approached Sio's house on the First Rock.
.
.
"Hey there, you bastards of friends!" Maren came flying down and landed gracefully in front of Zack, Big Guy, Sasha, and Evangeline.
"Hmm, Maren, how come you're here right now?" Sasha asked as she dusted her hands and stepped closer.
"Hmm, Oliver asked both of you for his work. The details and everything—you can hear it from him at Emmy's house. He has a lot to say." Maren didn't bother explaining much. When she spotted Evangeline, she nodded respectfully, and Evangeline returned the gesture.
"Hmm, I guess Oliver is going ahead with his plan. Why don't we go there? The work here is mostly over, so let's go help him, shall we?" Zack suggested, and everyone agreed.
But suddenly, he felt something—a familiar sensation emanating from a carriage that flew above them. Zack focused intently. This feels like him, but very weak. What is this? Someone with similar power, maybe?
"On second thought, I just remembered something important. Why don't Big Guy, Maren, and I go there while you guys' head over to see everyone at Miss Emmy's house?" Zack smiled slightly and pulled Big Guy and Maren away.
"Huh? Huh? Where are you taking me, you bastard?! Not again! Why does everyone keep pulling me today?! No, I don't wanna go! Noooooo!" Maren protests faded as the three figures disappeared, riding the wind from a nearby tower used as a launching platform.
"Huh? What just happened? Why did they leave so fast?" Miss Eva looked confused, trying to make sense of the sudden departure.
Sigh. "These guys, thinking not to bother us." Sasha and Fia looked at each other and smiled knowingly.
"Fia, you go with them. I'll wait for you guys at Emmy's house."
"Hmm, are you sure? Don't you want to go with them?" Fia asked while looking at their retreating backs.
Sasha shook her head. "Zack clearly thinks I'm still not okay to face anything, so I'll respect his decision. And he must be thinking you're still not at optimal state either." She sighed dramatically. "But I don't feel comfortable with a goofy big guy plus a loud mouth women and my cute brother in the same group. You should also go help them," Sasha ordered.
Fia nodded and flew off after them.
"Umm, what is going on here?" Miss Eva asked, completely lost.
"Nothing much—just them having fun without this cute little lady." Sasha smiled warmly as she looped her arm through Eva's. "And how could I leave my new friend all alone in the midst of these shining crops? What if you got lost and couldn't find your beloved husband?"
"Huh? And who was the one who brought me here in the field to work, making my beautiful dress all dirty?" Miss Eva checked her outfit, now covered in mud.
"Hahaha, don't worry—your husband will clean it for you," Sasha said with a playful wink.
"Haha, you brat!" Miss Eva looked up with a knowing smile and asked, "Are you sure you don't want to go with them? What if they need your help?"
"Hmmm, I'm sure they'll be fine. And truthfully, I'm not that strong. I can only heal small scratches or help people feel less pain—that's all I can do," Sasha said quietly. After a moment, she continued, "Everyone is strong in their own way, so they'll be fine without me. Don't worry—my Zack even defeated your husband, so I guess it's okay." Sasha smiled at the end.
Hearing this, Miss Eva immediately replied, "Huh? You forgot that my husband stood up first in that battle and clearly landed more punches! He's stronger!"
"My Zack was stronger!"
"No, my husband!"
"Zack!"
"Husband!"
"Zack!"
"Husband!"
Both women looked at each other and burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Fine, fine, whatever. But you're not really weak from my point of view. Healing someone's pain is the most powerful power anyone could have. People who have felt pain know the value of not feeling it." Miss Eva smiled sweetly at Sasha.
"Hmm, if you say so," Sasha said casually, not taking the compliment too seriously.
"Heehh, we'll see about that," Miss Eva said mysteriously.
They began flying on their boards, gliding through the air.
"Waaaaahh! I'm scared! I'm not used to this! Can't we take a carriage, Sasha?" Miss Eva asked in panic, barely able to control her board.
"Haha! This is fun! What would you do in a carriage? Let's FLYYYYY, MY FRIEND! See this beautiful land! Smell the wind! See the falling light on the horizon—everything is beautiful, just like us beautiful ladies!" Sasha said happily as she rotated her board in pure joy, and Lurvi spinning with her, riding the wind. Her smile seemed to light up the world.
Miss Eva watched the CITY OF EIRS spread out below them, trying to absorb the magnificence of the city from this breathtaking perspective. Her eyes glowed with life as she took it all in. "Hmm, this is truly beautiful," she whispered.
Subconsciously, her gaze drifted to the edge of one of the rocks. She looked away quickly and flew onward like a fairy, gracefully tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
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END OF CHAPTER
The hardest journeys aren't the ones our feet take—they're the ones our hearts must navigate alone. Gloomy asks questions that children shouldn't have to wonder about, yet in a world broken by power and loss, his curiosity reflects the fractured families holding each other together. Mother Veny speaks of love that defies convention, while Zack makes choices to shield those he cares for from truths they're not ready to face.
When you look over the edge of something beautiful, you see not just the view, but the very foundation that keeps it standing—fragile, held together by those who choose to stay when they could so easily fall away.
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AUTHOR TALK — READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
I'm writing this because there's a lot of talk about this on the internet. So let's be kind to each other and take this as a chance to learn something new together!
Okay, before anyone starts rolling their eyes at me, let me clarify: in nature, there are really just two basic sexes—male and female. Sure, in humans and a bunch of other animals, you'll find same-sex behaviors, and that's totally natural, but that doesn't mean they're separate "genders." I like to think of the endless list of so-called "other genders" as polymorphic expressions—just my little term, not something I'm using in the story.
Now, here's the actual biology, boiled down:
Nature's rule is simple:
Male: makes small sperm
Female: makes big eggs
That's it. But the ways these sexes show up or behave can get pretty wild. Here are some of the coolest variations:
Simultaneous hermaphroditism: Some animals have both male and female parts at the same time. Think snails or earthworms—they can play both roles during mating.
Sequential hermaphroditism (sex change): Some start life as one sex and switch later. Clownfish are classic—they're born male and can become female if the situation calls for it.
Environmental sex determination: Sometimes it's not genes that decide sex—it's the environment. For instance, the temperature of turtle or crocodile eggs determines if they'll be male or female.
Parthenogenesis: Some females can make babies without males. No mating needed! Certain lizards, insects, and even sharks can do this—offspring are all female clones of the mom.
Same-sex behaviors: Animals of the same sex sometimes court, cuddle, or even mate. It happens in dolphins, bonobos, penguins, and more. It's often about social bonding, practicing skills, or reducing conflicts.
Bottom line: nature sticks to two sexes, but it gets super creative in how it uses them. Two basic rules, endless strategies.