“The first human child with an Eliksni name was born last week.”
“Say what? How is that possible? I didn’t think we could… Well, I mean, I know we could, but I didn’t think… there was that kind of compatibility… for, you know—”
“No, no, no… bells of nine hells, the stuff that goes through your head. No, just a human child given an Eliksni name.”
“By the parents? Human parents?”
“Yeah.”
“Why would they do that? Fallen godmother or something?”
“You could say that, I guess. Story is one of ‘em protected a small refugee caravan headed for the City last year. Stayed away, but picked off Red Legion with one of those wire rifles of theirs, kept the caravan from being discovered by scouts. By the time they got close to the City, they’d figured out who it was protecting them, even talked a bit. That’s how they learned the name, and gave it to the kid who wouldn’t have made it into town to be born without the Eliksni’s help.”
“Huh. Why’d they protect the refugees?”
“Dunno. Maybe it reminded them of the Eliksni exodus, searching for the Traveler’s salvation after the Whirlwind. Maybe some of them just recognize there’s no more to be gained by fighting anymore, just want to find a new way to live, even if that means living with former enemies.”
“Guess things really can change, sometimes.”
“Guess so.”
“Hey, what’s the name? Of the new kid.”
“Oh, uh… Ciriks.”
(The Queenbreaker)
