Destiny Descending

him, just as amazed.
“Evidently.”
You'd think that I'd know all of the beasties in my own territory, but I had left the land alone when I remade the palace. Whatever Niyarvirezi had put in the savannah was still there... flourishing, it seemed.
“What in my name is going on here?” I gaped at the parade of critters.
Kirill lifted an amused brow at me.
“What? I'm a goddess, I can take my name in vain.”
Kirill rolled his eyes, grabbed my hand, and started toward the palace at a run. We swept alongside the hilarious herd and followed it into the palace and up the stairs, past a crowd of Intare who lined the walls and filled the corridors to watch the parade move steadily upward. Kirill and I continued to follow them up flight after flight until we reached our suite on the top floor. There, in the main bedroom, we found Viper, Re, Lesya, and Vero standing amid a tide of creatures that covered the floor like carpet.
“What the furry freak show is this?” I demanded.
It was obviously a hypothetical question; no one knew what was going on.
Re and Viper looked lost. They just stared at me blankly as the animals came to a stop and sat on their haunches. Lesya couldn't have been more delighted; she squealed and crawled among the beasts, petting as many as she could. But Vero... he stood at Viper's feet with his hands extended and his honey-eyes, so like his father's, glowing with magic. And the animals stared straight at him as if waiting for his command.
“Vero,” I whispered, “what are you doing, honey?”
“Mama, I bring na'nimals to me,” Vero said solemnly.
“Sweet sunshine,” Re murmured. “The wolf pup is doing it.”
“Uncle Re, my brother speaks to animals,” Lesya said proudly. “He's like Doctor Doolittle but better.”
“Doctor Little-Wolf,” Viper murmured.
“Yes, I see that, sweetheart,” Re said to Lesya as he stared at me with wide eyes.
“He calls the night creatures,” I corrected Lesya as I went to my son, tiptoeing carefully around his menagerie.
Vero is a miniature version of Trevor; dark curls, honey eyes, and a lopsided grin that will break your heart. But he has my sense of humor. He toddled forward on his chubby legs, tapping each animal's head as if playing a game of Duck, Duck, Goose, and as he did, they bowed to him. Some even rolled onto their backs and exposed their bellies. Maybe not so much a game then but more like a king knighting his soldiers.
“Good kitties,” Vero declared. “Good kitties.”
“Baby, those aren't kitties.” I started to reach for him when I saw him go for a porcupine, but it laid its needles flat just before Vero tapped its head. “Those are... I think they're African animals.”
“Night na'nimals,” Vero said and giggled. “I like night! Feels good!” He made a little rumbling sound.
I laughed in delight and stood back, letting my baby rule his court. “Yes, and night likes you, Ro-Ro.”
I motioned the men back, and we moved to the kitchenette, getting out of the way of the animal pilgrimage. The intercom near the door buzzed, and I stepped around a bushpig to answer it.
“Yeah?”
“Tima?” It was Aidan. “Is there a reason why half of the grasslands are infiltrating the palace?”
“Vero called them.”
“Right. Sure. Of course. Your son called the rodents of the wilds to attend him. What could be more normal than that?”
“I don't think these are rodents.” A rat ran by me. “Correction, there are rodents among the non-rodents.”
“Tima, what the hell is going on?!” Aidan screeched, losing his cool utterly.
“My son is learning to control his magic,” I said calmly. “He's the God of Moon and Wolves, you know? I gave him control of the night creatures. And you need to get that screeching under control, Aidan. You're an Intare, remember?”
“Ha-ha,” Aidan huffed. “Fine, I'll tell the others to relax. But this better not become a nightly thing.”
The line buzzed dead.
“Um, why is our son petting a parade of porcupines?” Trevor asked as he climbed over animals to get into the bedroom.
“Daddy!” Vero cried delightedly as he waved his arms outward.
The animals pulled back, commanded by Vero's motion, forming an aisle from him to his father. Trevor's eyes went wide as he stared from side to side then hesitantly strode down the aisle. Animals chittered and sniffed the air as he passed then went back to doing what they'd been doing before his arrival; either coming in toward Vero or going out after receiving their head tap.
“Son, what is this about?” Trevor crouched beside Vero, cocking his head at him, and my heart did a little skip.
I loved seeing them together; so similar in looks but different in personalities. Vero was Trevor and me combined in one little person. What a miracle. A common miracle, but a miracle nonetheless.
“This!” Vero declared. “This is me! Vero!” Vero laughed in delight, and the animals made happy noises with him.
Trevor looked over at me with his lopsided grin. “Our son has come into his power.”
“So it seems,” I agreed.
“Well done, my boy!” Trevor ruffled Vero's curls, sounding and looking a little like Fenrir.
“Daddy.” Vero grinned lopsidedly.
“Yep, Daddy's proud of you.” Trevor hugged his son and then stuck a hand out to stroke the animals as they approached.
A honey badger hissed at Trevor, and Vero hissed back. The badger immediately bowed its head to Vero's dominance, and Trevor chuckled as he gave the animal a quick pat. No hard feelings.
“Naughty,” Vero chided the honey badger. “Be nice to Daddy.”
“And Lesya,” Lesya said as she joined them.
“And Lesya,” Vero repeated solemnly.
Lesya giggled, and Vero smiled at his sister in that honest way children do. Pure, untainted joy. Then Vero went back to tapping heads, blessing all of the night creatures of our territory as the rest of us watched in wonder. Lesya plopped down on her butt to pet everything that would let her, but Trevor stood up and backed out of the horde to join us in the kitchen area.
“You didn't want